Evaluation Of The 239pu Prompt Fission Neutron Spectrum Induced By Neutrons Of 500 Kev And Associated Covariances

We present evaluations of the prompt fission neutron spectrum (PFNS) of 239Pu induced by 500 keV neutrons, and associated covariances. In a previous evaluation by Talou et al. 2010, surprisingly low evaluated uncertainties were obtained, partly due to simplifying assumptions in the quantification of uncertainties from experiment and model. Therefore, special emphasis is placed here on a thorough uncertainty quantification of experimental data and of the Los Alamos model predicted values entering the evaluation. In addition, the Los Alamos model was extended and an evaluation technique was employed that takes into account the qualitative differences between normalized model predicted values and experimental shape data. These improvements lead to changes in the evaluated PFNS and overall larger evaluated uncertainties than in the previous work. However, these evaluated uncertainties are still smaller than those obtained in a statistical analysis using experimental information only, due to strong model correlations. Hence, suggestions to estimate model defect uncertainties are presented, which lead to more reasonable evaluated uncertainties. The calculated keff of selected criticality benchmarks obtained with these new evaluations agree with each other within their uncertainties despite the different approaches to estimate model defect uncertainties. The keff one standard deviations overlap with some of those obtained using ENDF/B-VII. 1, albeit their mean values are further away from unity. Spectral indexes for the Jezebel critical assembly calculated with the newly evaluated PFNS agree with the experimental data for selected (n, [gamma]) and (n, f) reactions, and show improvements for high-energy threshold (n,2n) reactions compared to ENDF/B-VII. 1.

We have developed an improved evaluation method for the spectrum of neutrons emitted in fission of 239Pu induced by incident neutrons with energies up to 20 MeV. The v covariance data, including incident energy correlations introduced by the v evaluation method, were used to fix the input parameters in our event-by-event model of fission, FREYA, by applying formal statistical methods. Formal estimates of uncertainties in the evaluation were developed by randomly sampling model inputs and calculating likelihood functions based on agreement with the evaluated v. Our approach is able to employ a greater variety of fission measurements than the relatively coarse spectral data alone. It also allows the study of numerous fission observables for more accurate model validation. The combination of an event-by-event Monte Carlo fission model with a statistical-likelihood analysis is thus a powerful tool for evaluation of fission-neutron data. Our empirical model FREYA follows the complete fission event from birth of the excited fragments through their decay via neutron emission until the fragment excitation energy is below the neutron separation energy when neutron emission can no longer occur. The most recent version of FREYA incorporates pre-equilibrium neutron emission, the emission of the first neutron before equilibrium is reached in the compound nucleus, and multi-chance fission, neutron evaporation prior to fission when the incident neutron energy is above the neutron separation energy. Energy, momentum, charge and mass number are conserved throughout the fission process. The best available values of fragment masses and total kinetic energies are used as inputs to FREYA. We fit three parameters that are not well under control from previous measurements: the shift in the total fragment kinetic energy; the energy scale of the asymptotic level density parameter, controlling the fragment 'temperature' for neutron evaporation; and the relative excitation of the light and heavy fragments, governing the number and energy of neutrons emitted from each fragment. The latter two parameters are assumed to be independent of the incident neutron energy while the first varies with incident energy. We describe our method and the subsequent spectral evaluation and present the results of several standard validation calculations that test our new evaluation. These benchmarks include critical assemblies, sensitive to criticality in fast systems; pulsed sphere measurements testing the spectra at incident neutron energies of 14 MeV; and other tests.

The prompt-neutron-induced-fission spectra of 233U, 235U, 239Pu, and 24°Pu are measured relative to the prompt-spontaneous-fission-neutron spectrum of 252Cf. The fission of 233U, 235U, and 239Pu is induced by approx. = 550-keV neutrons, and that of 24°Pu, by approx. = 850-keV neutrons. The emitted fission neutrons are observed over the energy range less than or equal to 0.5 to 10.0 MeV by use of time-of-flight techniques. Analysis of the measured values indicates that the average-fission-neutron energies are -123 +- 30 (233U), -157 +- 24 (235U), -76 +- 29 (239Pu), and -46 +- 29 (24°Pu) keV relative to the energy for 252Cf. The experimental results are compared with those of ENDF/B-V, and a simple behavior of average-prompt-fission-neutron energies is suggested.

The spectrum of neutrons emitted promptly after 239Pu(n, f)--a so-called prompt fission neutron spectrum (PFNS)--is a quantity of high interest, for instance, for reactor physics and global security. However, there are only few experimental data sets available that are suitable for evaluations. In addition, some of those data sets differ by more than their 1-[sigma] uncertainty boundaries. We present the results of MCNP studies indicating that these differences are partly caused by underestimated multiple scattering contributions, over-corrected background, and inconsistent deconvolution methods. A detailed uncertainty quantification for suitable experimental data was undertaken including these effects, and test-evaluations were performed with the improved uncertainty information. The test-evaluations illustrate that the inadequately estimated effects and detailed uncertainty quantification have an impact on the evaluated PFNS and associated uncertainties as well as the neutron multiplicity of selected critical assemblies. A summary of data and documentation needs to improve the quality of the experimental database is provided based on the results of simulations and test-evaluations. Furthermore, given the possibly substantial distortion of the PFNS by multiple scattering and background effects, special care should be taken to reduce these effects in future measurements, e.g., by measuring the 239Pu PFNS as a ratio to either the 235U or 252Cf PFNS.

This book provides advanced students and postdocs, as well as current practitioners of any field of nuclear physics involving fission an understanding of the nuclear fission process. Key topics covered are: fission cross sections, fission fragment yields, neutron and gamma emission from fission and key nuclear technologies and applications where fission plays an important role. It addresses both fundamental aspects of the fission process and fission-based technologies including combining quantitative and microscopic modeling.

Although the fission of heavy nuclei was discovered over 75 years ago, many problems and questions still remain to be addressed and answered. The reader will be presented with an old, but persistent problem of this field: The contradiction between Prompt Fission Neutron (PFN) spectra measured with differential (microscopic) experiments and integral (macroscopic and benchmark) experiments (the Micro-Macro problem). The difference in average energy is rather small ~3% but it is stable and we cannot explain the difference due to experimental uncertainties. Can we measure the PFN spectrum with high accuracy? How may we compare results of different experiments to provide better accuracy? Are our traditional theoretical models correct? What can be done to solve the Micro-Macro problem in future? These questions are discussed in this monograph for the reader. The current work will be of interest to graduate students and researchers, particularly those working in nuclear and neutron physics.

Employing a recently developed Monte Carlo model, we study the fission of 24°Pu induced by neutrons with energies from thermal to just below the threshold for second chance fission. Current measurements of the mean number of prompt neutrons emitted in fission, together with less accurate measurements of the neutron energy spectra, place remarkably fine constraints on predictions of microscopic calculations. In particular, the total excitation energy of the nascent fragments must be specified to within 1 MeV to avoid disagreement with measurements of the mean neutron multiplicity. The combination of the Monte Carlo fission model with a statistical likelihood analysis also presents a powerful tool for the evaluation of fission neutron data. Of particular importance is the fission spectrum, which plays a key role in determining reactor criticality. We show that our approach can be used to develop an estimate of the fission spectrum with uncertainties several times smaller than current experimental uncertainties for outgoing neutron energies of less than 2 MeV.

The prompt-fission-neutron spectrum resulting from 239Pu fission induced by 0.55 MeV incident neutrons is measured from 1.0 to 10.0 MeV relative to that of 235U fission induced by the same incident-energy neutrons. The measurements employ the time-of-flight technique. Energy-dependent ratios of the two spectra are deduced from the measured values over the energy range 1.0 to 10.0 MeV. The experimentally-derived ratio results are compared with those calculated from ENDF/B-V, revision-2, and with results of recent microscopic measurements. Using the ENDF/B-V 235U Watt parameters for the 235U spectrum, the experimental measurements imply a ratio of average fission-spectrum energies of 239Pu/235U = 1.045 +- 0.003, compared to the value 1.046 calculated from ENDF/B-V, revision 2. 12 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.