Practicalities of Bayesian network modeling for nuclear data evaluation with the nucdataBaynet package

Abstract

Bayesian networks are a helpful abstraction in the modelization of the relationships between different variables for the purpose of uncertainty quantification. They are therefore especially well suited for the application to nuclear data evaluation to accurately model the relationships of experimental and nuclear models. Constraints, such as sum rules and the non-negativity of cross sections, can be rigorously taken into account in Bayesian inference within Bayesian networks. This contribution elaborates on the practical aspects of the construction of Bayesian networks with the nucdataBaynet package for the purpose of nuclear data evaluation.