TENDL-2012 Processing, Verification and Validation Steps

Abstract

The goal of a unified, converged format for a truly general-purpose nuclear data library is becoming attainable thanks to a) recent advances and improvements in the proper interpretation and extension of the ENDF-6 format, b) the willingness of the processing communities to interact with applications communities, and c) better physics input. Earlier attempts to move toward a universal format frame for nuclear data files, JEFF-3.0/A, ENDF/B-VI HE, EAF-2010 and TENDL-2011, have paved the way finally to manage to bridge the gap that currently separates general and special purpose file format frames. The unified format exemplified in TENDL-2012, entirely based on the original ENDF-6 format frame, now makes the spine of a new set of nuclear data libraries and forms that are required to feed modern transport and inventory simulation codes. The data structure, also including covariance, is such that it allows the secular processing codes to be used simultaneously and in parallel to process, but also independently verify, all intermediate and final forms useful to the many applications that need them: transport, shielding, inventory and astrophysics. The comprehensive, complete and diverse resulting processed data forms have already been successfully connected, verified and validated when used in conjunction with the inventory code FISPACT-II and the Monte Carlo transport code TRIPOLI-4.9. Criticality, decay heat and inventory integral measurement benchmarking activities are being assessed in order to verify and validate the concatenation of often complex procedures and processes. The results of these assessments will lead to further enhancements for the next generation of the TENDL library.