Klaus Guber

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Neutron-induced cross-section measurements for improved nuclear data

Abstract

Many older neutron cross-section evaluations from nuclear data libraries exhibit deficiencies or do not cover energy ranges that are important for nuclear reactor and criticality safety applications. These deficiencies may occur in the resonance region and high-energy region. Consequently, these evaluated data may not be adequate for radiation transport or nuclear criticality calculations where effects such as self-shielding, multiple scattering, or Doppler broadening are important. New measurements have been undertaken in response to deficiencies identified in nuclear data libraries. New data and evaluations including covariances are required for several materials found in mixtures with uranium. Several of these data are also important input parameters for the ongoing nuclear astrophysics program, which investigates the s-process nucleosynthesis in Asymptotic Giant Branch stars. Here the Maxwellian-averaged neutron-capture cross sections at kT = 8 and 30 keV are of importance.