ENDF/B-VI data for MCNP{trademark}

Abstract

Nuclear and atomic data are the foundation upon which the radiation transport codes are built. For neutron transport the international standard is the Evaluated Nuclear Data File from Brookhaven National Laboratory. The latest version, ENDF/B-VI release 2, has recently become available for use in the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) radiation transport code. These neutron cross-section data are designated by ZAID identifiers ending in .60c and are referred to as the ENDF60 library. The ENDF60 data library was processed from the ENDF/B-VI evaluations using the NJOY code. Fifty-two percent of the data evaluations are translations from ENDF/B-V. The remaining 48% are new evaluations which have sometimes changed significantly. The RSIC release package contains the ENDF60 neutron library, a new photon library MCPLIB02, the electron library EL1, and an updated XSDIR file. The authors report here the work done by the LANL Radiation Transport Group (X-6) in testing and validating the ENDF60 data library and in developing the necessary new sampling and detector schemes. When the ENDF60 library should be used in preference to the previous libraries, is also considered. The development of the new photon library MCPLIB02 is also discussed.