Cross-section evaluations to 150 MeV for accelerator-driven systems and implementation in MCNPX

Citation
Mb. Chadwick et al., Cross-section evaluations to 150 MeV for accelerator-driven systems and implementation in MCNPX, NUCL SCI EN, 131(3), 1999, pp. 293-328
Citations number
114
Categorie Soggetti
Nuclear Emgineering
Journal title
NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
ISSN journal
00295639 → ACNP
Volume
131
Issue
3
Year of publication
1999
Pages
293 - 328
Database
ISI
SICI code
0029-5639(199903)131:3<293:CET1MF>2.0.ZU;2-8
Abstract
New accelerator-driven technologies that utilize spallation neutrons, such as the production of tritium and the transmutation of radioactive waste, re quire accurate nuclear data to model the performance of the target/blanket assembly and To predict neutron production, activation, heating, shielding requirements, and material damage. To meet these needs, nuclear-data evalua tions and libraries up to 150 MeV have been developed for use in transport calculations to guide engineering design. By using advanced nuclear models that account for details of nuclear structure and the quantum,nature of the nuclear scattering, significant gains in accuracy can be achieved below 15 0 MeV where intranuclear cascade calculations become less accurate. Evaluat ions are in ENDF-6 format for important target/blanket and shielding materi als (isotopes of H, C, N, O, Al, Si, P, Ca, Ci; Fe, Ni, Cu, Nb, W: Hg, and Pb) for both incident neutrons and incident protons. The evaluations are ba sed on measured da:ta as well as predictions from the GNASH nuclear model c ode, which calculates cross sections using Hauser-Feshbach, exciton, and Fe shbach-Kerman-Koonin preequilibrium models. Elastic scattering distribution s and direct reactions are calculated from the optical model. All evaluatio ns specify production cross sections and energy-angle correlated spectra of secondary light particles as well as production cross sections and energy distributions of heavy recoils and gamma rays. A formalism developed to cal culate recoil energy distributions is presented. The use of these nuclear d ata in the MCNPX radiation transport code is also briefly described. This c ode merges essential elements of the LAHET and MCNP codes and uses these ne w data below 150 MeV and intranuclear cascade collision physics at higher e nergies. Extensive comparisons are shown between the evaluated results and experimental cross-section data to benchmark and validate the evaluated lib rary. In addition, integral benchmarks of calculated and measured kerma coe fficients for neutron energy deposition and neutron transmission through an iron slab compared with MCNPX calculations are provided. These evaluations have been accepted into the ENDF/B-VI library as Release 6.