The Joint evaluated fission and fusion nuclear data library, JEFF-3.3

Plompen, A. J. M.*; Cabellos, O.*; De Saint Jean, C.*; Fleming, M.*; Algora, A.*; Angelone, M.*; Archier, P.*; Bauge, E.*; Bersillon, O.*; Blokhin, A.*; et al.

European Physical Journal A, 56(7), p.181_1 - 181_108, 2020/07

https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-020-00141-9

The Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion nuclear data library 3.3 is described. New evaluations for neutron-induced interactions with the major actinides U, U and Pu, on Am and Na, Ni, Cr, Cu, Zr, Cd, Hf, W, Au, Pb and Bi are presented. It includes new fission yileds, prompt fission neutron spectra and average number of neutrons per fission. In addition, new data for radioactive decay, thermal neutron scattering, gamma-ray emission, neutron activation, delayed neutrons and displacement damage are presented. JEFF-3.3 was complemented by files from the TENDL project. The libraries for photon, proton, deuteron, triton, helion and alpha-particle induced reactions are from TENDL-2017. The demands for uncertainty quantification in modeling led to many new covariance data. A comparison between results from model calculations using the JEFF-3.3 library and those from benchmark experiments for criticality, delayed neutron yields, shielding and decay heat, reveals that JEFF-3.3 is excellent for a wide range of nuclear technology applications, in particular nuclear energy.

IAEA Photonuclear Data Library 2019

Kawano, Toshihiko*; Cho, Y. S.*; Dimitriou, P.*; Filipescu, D.*; Iwamoto, Nobuyuki; Plujko, V.*; Tao, X.*; Utsunomiya, Hiroaki*; Varlamov, V.*; Xu, R.*; et al.

Nuclear Data Sheets, 163, p.109 - 162, 2020/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nds.2019.12.002

Sample shape effect on nuclear material quantification with neutron resonance transmission analysis

Tsuchiya, Harufumi; Ma, F.; Kitatani, Fumito; Paradella, C.*; Heyse, J.*; Kopecky, S.*; Schillebeeckx, P.*

Proceedings of 41st ESARDA Annual Meeting (Internet), p.374 - 377, 2019/05

Developing reliable reaction gamma-ray data

Dimitriou, P.*; Belgya, T.*; Cho, Y.-S.*; Filipescu, D.*; Firestone, R.*; Goriely, S.*; Iwamoto, Nobuyuki; Kawano, Toshihiko*; Kopecky, J.*; Krticka, M.*; et al.

EPJ Web of Conferences, 178, p.06005_1 - 06005_3, 2018/05

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201817806005

no abstracts in English

Systematic effects on cross section data derived from reaction rates in reactor spectra and a re-analysis of Am reactor activation measurements

erovnik, G.*; Schillebeeckx, P.*; Becker, B.*; Fiorito, L.*; Harada, Hideo; Kopecky, S.*; Radulovic, V.*; Sano, Tadafumi*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 877, p.300 - 313, 2018/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2017.09.064

Methodologies to derive cross section data from spectrum integrated reaction rates were studied. The Westcott convention and some of its approximations were considered. The accuracy of the results strongly depends on the assumptions that are made about the neutron energy distribution, which is mostly parameterised as a sum of a thermal and an epi-thermal component. Resonance integrals derived from such data can be strongly biased. When the energy dependence of the cross section is known and information about the neutron energy distribution is available, a method to correct for a bias on the cross section at thermal energy is proposed. Reactor activation measurements to determine the thermal Am(n, ) cross section reported in the literature were reviewed, where the results were corrected to account for possible biases. These data combined with results of time-of-flight measurements give a capture cross section 720 (14) b for Am(n, ) at thermal energy.

The CIELO collaboration; Progress in international evaluations of neutron reactions on Oxygen, Iron, Uranium and Plutonium

Chadwick, M. B.*; Capote, R.*; Trkov, A.*; Kahler, A. C.*; Herman, M. W.*; Brown, D. A.*; Hale, G. M.*; Pigni, M.*; Dunn, M.*; Leal, L.*; et al.

EPJ Web of Conferences, 146, p.02001_1 - 02001_9, 2017/09

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201714602001

The CIELO collaboration has studied neutron cross sections on nuclides (O, Fe, U and Pu) that significantly impact criticality in nuclear technologies with the aim of improving the accuracy of the data and resolving previous discrepancies in our understanding. This multi-laboratory pilot project, coordinated via the OECD/NEA Working Party on Evaluation Cooperation (WPEC) Subgroup 40 with support also from the IAEA, has motivated experimental and theoretical work and led to suites of new evaluated libraries that accurately reflect measured data and also perform well in integral simulations of criticality.

Characteristics of neutron resonance densitometry, 2; Neutron resonance capture analysis

Tsuchiya, Harufumi; Harada, Hideo; Koizumi, Mitsuo; Kitatani, Fumito; Kureta, Masatoshi; Becker, B.*; Kopecky, S.*; Heyse, J.*; Paradela, C.*; Mondelaers, W.*; et al.

Kaku Busshitsu Kanri Gakkai (INMM) Nihon Shibu Dai-36-Kai Nenji Taikai Rombunshu (Internet), 9 Pages, 2015/12

Neutron Resonance Densitometry (NRD) was developed as a non-destructive assay to quantify U and Pu isotopes in particle-like debris. NRD is composed of neutron resonance transmission analysis (NRTA) and Neutron Resonance Capture Analysis (NRCA) or Prompt Gamma-ray Analysis (PGA). NRCA/PGA in NRD plays a role of identifying impurities in debris under the high-radiation field primarily caused by Cs. For this purpose, a novel LaBr -ray detector employing specific shields has been newly developed. With the developed -ray detector, a demonstration NRCA experiment was performed at a neutron time of flight facility GELINA (Belgium). As a result, samples (Hf, Gd, Ni) placed in a black box that is completely sealed by third party were successfully identified by the experiment. This presentation explains the design concept of the ray detector including its detection principle and details of the demonstration NRCA experiment.

Systematic effects on cross-section data derived from reaction rates at a cold neutron beam

erovnik, G.*; Becker, B.*; Belgya, T.*; Genreith, C.*; Harada, Hideo; Kopecky, S.*; Radulovi, V.*; Sano, Tadafumi*; Schillebeeckx, P.*; Trkov, A.*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 799, p.29 - 36, 2015/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2015.07.008

The methodology to derive cross section data from measurements in a cold neutron beam was studied. Mostly, capture cross sections at thermal energy are derived relative to a standard cross section, and proportionality between the standard and the measured cross section is often assumed. Due to this assumption the derived capture cross section at thermal energy can be biased by more than 10%. Evidently the bias depends on how much the energy dependence of the cross section deviates from a direct proportionality with the inverse of the neutron speed. The effect is reduced in case the cross section is not derived at thermal energy but at an energy close to the average energy of the cold neutron beam. Nevertheless, it is demonstrated that the bias can only be avoided in case the energy dependence of the cross section is known and proper correction factors are applied. In some cases the results can also be biased when the attenuation of the neutron beam within the sample is neglected in the analysis. Some of the cross section data reported in the literature suffer from such bias effects.

Techniques of neutron resonance capture analysis and prompt -ray analysis for active neutron NDA

Koizumi, Mitsuo; Tsuchiya, Harufumi; Kitatani, Fumito; Kureta, Masatoshi; Seya, Michio; Harada, Hideo; Heyse, J.*; Kopecky, S.*; Mondelaers, W.*; Paradela, C.*; et al.

Proceedings of 37th ESARDA Annual Meeting (Internet), p.852 - 858, 2015/08

Generalized analysis method for neutron resonance transmission analysis

Harada, Hideo; Kimura, Atsushi; Kitatani, Fumito; Koizumi, Mitsuo; Tsuchiya, Harufumi; Becker, B.*; Kopecky, S.*; Schillebeeckx, P.*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 52(6), p.837 - 843, 2015/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2014.982738