Nuclear data activities at the n_TOF facility at CERN

F Gunsing,A Pavlik,C Paradela,F Cerutti,P Žugec,D Bosnar,R Dressler,J Lerendegui,M Calviani,A Gawlik,C Lederer,S Heinitz,R Cardella,D Schumann,D Tarrío,J Heyse,F Mingrone,D Macina,T Rauscher,C Massimi,M Barbagallo,L Audouin,A Oprea,A Tsinganis,M Caamaño,J Andrzejewski,S V Suryanarayana,A Casanovas,M Mirea,S Ganesan,N Patronis,T Heftrich,A Masi,P Kavrigin,J Billowes,M Robles,O Aberle,S Warren,A Wallner,A Musumarra,A Kimura,C Wolf,F Bečvář,A Goverdovski,C Rubbia,M Bacak,J Praena,C Guerrero,V Furman,S Barros,J A Ryan,E Mendoza,I Porras,L A Damone,N Kivel,M Sabaté-Gilarte,V Ketlerov,E Leal-Cidoncha,F Käppeler,Y H Chen,P Finocchiaro,V Bécares,A Mazzone,P J Woods,S Montesano,M Mastromarco,V Variale,R Reifarth,F Belloni,F Calviño,J Marganiec,I Durán,S Valenta,P Vaz,C Beinrucker,J Perkowski,I Gheorghe,E Chiaveri,A Hernández-Prieto,K Deo,P Schillebeeckx,S Schmidt,E Dupont,A Ventura,M Licata,T Martínez,G Vannini,D G Jenkins,E Berthoumieux,A Mengoni,N Colonna,A Saxena,A Stamatopoulos,K Göbel,A G Smith,M Weigand,V Vlachoudis,I F Gonçalves,E Griesmayer,P Sedyshev,D Radeck,R Vlastou,S J Lonsdale,E A Maugeri,M Krtička,A Ferrari,G Cortés,J M Quesada,E Jericha,M Kokkoris,Y Kadi,P Mastinu,T Wright,V Khryachkov,S Lo Meo,R Losito,G Tagliente,T Glodariu,H Leeb,A Tarifeño-Saldivia,Roeland J M Nolte ,Paulo Ricardo Araújo Ferreira ,B Fernández–Domínguez ,D Cano‐Ott ,Μ Diakaki ,P C Rout ,Donato Maurizio Castelluccio ,Paolo Milazzo ,Rogelio Palomo Pinto ,Hideo Harada ,A R García ,L Coséntino ,M A Cortés‐Giraldo ,C Domingo‐Pardo ,F Matteuccí ,R J W Frost ,M Brügger ,J L Taín ,C Weiß ,A Riego ,L Tassan‐Got ,Enrique González ,Tatsuya Katabuchi ,K P Rajeev ,J Balibrea

doi:10.1140/epjp/i2016-16371-4

Abstract

Nuclear data in general, and neutron-induced reaction cross sections in particular, are important for a wide variety of research fields. They play a key role in the safety and criticality assessment of nuclear technology, not only for existing power reactors but also for radiation dosimetry, medical applications, the transmutation of nuclear waste, accelerator-driven systems, fuel cycle investigations and future reactor systems as in Generation IV. Applications of nuclear data are also related to research fields as the study of nuclear level densities and stellar nucleosynthesis. Simulations and calculations of nuclear technology applications largely rely on evaluated nuclear data libraries. The evaluations in these libraries are based both on experimental data and theoretical models. Experimental nuclear reaction data are compiled on a worldwide basis by the international network of Nuclear Reaction Data Centres (NRDC) in the EXFOR database. The EXFOR database forms an important link between nuclear data measurements and the evaluated data libraries. CERN's neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF has produced a considerable amount of experimental data since it has become fully operational with the start of the scientific measurement programme in 2001. While for a long period a single measurement station (EAR1) located at 185 m from the neutron production target was available, the construction of a second beam line at 20 m (EAR2) in 2014 has substantially increased the measurement capabilities of the facility. An outline of the experimental nuclear data activities at CERN's neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF will be presented.

Highlights

The generic notion “nuclear data” comprises the physical properties related to nuclear structure and nuclear reactions
A nuclear data evaluation is the result of a complicated process involving a careful analysis of available existing, sometimes inconsistent experimental data sets combined with optimum theoretical models describing experimental data and providing data for gaps in experimental information
The neutron time-of-flight facility n TOF was constructed after an idea proposed by Rubbia et al [31] and has become fully operational with the start of the scientific measurement programme in 2001 [32]

Summary

Introduction

The generic notion “nuclear data” comprises the physical properties related to nuclear structure and nuclear reactions. Evaluated nuclear reaction data play an essential role in calculations and simulations for the design and operational studies of nuclear technology systems For this purpose they have to contain all reactions and all energy regions, even where experimental data are missing, insufficient or inconsistent. Nuclear reaction data needed for such calculations are usually based on evaluated nuclear data libraries Examples of such libraries are JEFF [13], ENDF [14], JENDL [15], CENDL, BROND and several others. For example the database KADoNiS [17] is dedicated to Maxwellian averaged capture cross sections relevant for stellar nucleosynthesis It contains data both calculated from evaluated nuclear data libraries and from experiments. All these facilities have their own unique and often complementary characteristics

Nuclear reactions induced by neutrons

The neutron time-of-flight facility n TOF at CERN

12 C 25Mg 33 S 54Fe 56Fe 57Fe 58Ni 59Ni 62Ni 63Ni 87Sr 92Zr 93Zr

Further use of n TOF measurements

Conclusion