Neutron Cross Section Uncertainties In The Thermal And Resonance Regions

In the 'Atlas of Neutron Resonances', special care was expended to ensure that the resonance parameter information reproduces the various measured thermal cross sections, as well as the infinite dilute resonance integrals for Z = 1-100. In contrast, the uncertainties of the recommended quantities do not match those generated from the uncertainties of the resonance parameters. To address this problem, the present study was initiated to achieve consistency for 15 actinides and 21 structural and coolant moderator materials. This is realized by assigning uncertainties to the parameters of the negative-energy resonances and changing, if necessary, significantly the uncertainties of the low-lying positive-energy resonances. The influence of correlations between parameters on the derived uncertainties is examined and discussed.

Atlas of Neutron Resonances: Resonance Properties and Thermal Cross Sections Z=61-102, Sixth Edition, contains an extensive list of detailed individual neutron resonance parameters for Z=61-102, thermal cross sections, capture and fission resonance integrals, average resonance parameters, and a short survey of the physics of thermal and resonance neutrons. The long introduction contains: nuclear physics formulas aimed at neutron physicists; topics of special interest such as valence neutron capture, nuclear level density parameters, and s-, p-, and d-wave neutron strength functions; and various comparisons of measured quantities with the predictions of nuclear models, such as the optical model neutron-induced fission. As in the last edition, additional features have been added to appeal to a wider spectrum of users. These include: spin-dependent scattering lengths that are of interest to solid-state physicists, nuclear physicists and neutron evaluators; calculated and measured Maxwellian average 5-keV and 30-keV capture cross sections of importance to astrophysicists involved in nucleosynthesis modeling; s-, p-, and d- wave average radiative widths; nuclear level density parameters; and average fission widths derived from average fission cross sections. Provides a comparison of average resonance parameters with optical model calculations and with the generalized Landau-Fermi model Presents scattering radii for various partial waves from the analysis of total neutron cross sections in the keV to MeV energy region Includes a brief review of sub-threshold fission Features consistent treatment of average neutron parameters with values from the resolved resonance region

We present a detailed analysis of the impact of resonance parameter uncertainties on covariances for neutron capture and fission cross sections in the resolved resonance region. Our analysis uses the uncertainties available in the recently published Atlas of Neutron Resonances employing the Multi-Level Breit-Wigner formalism. We consider uncertainties on resonance energies along with those on neutron-, radiative-, and fission-widths and examine their impact on cross section uncertainties and correlations. We also study the effect of the resonance parameter correlations deduced from capture and fission kernels and illustrate our approach on several practical examples. We show that uncertainties of neutron-, radiative- and fission-widths are important, while the uncertainties of resonance energies can be effectively neglected. We conclude that the correlations between neutron and radiative (fission) widths should be taken into account. The multi-group cross section uncertainties can be properly generated from both the resonance parameter covariance format MF32 and the cross section covariance format MF33, though the use of MF32 is more straightforward and hence preferable.

Atlas of Neutron Resonances: Resonance Properties and Thermal Cross Sections Z= 1-60, Sixth Edition, contains an extensive list of detailed individual neutron resonance parameters for Z=1-60, as well as thermal cross sections, capture resonance integrals, average resonance parameters and a short survey of the physics of thermal and resonance neutrons. The long introduction contains: nuclear physics formulas aimed at neutron physicists; topics of special interest such as valence neutron capture, nuclear level density parameters, and s-, p-, and d-wave neutron strength functions; and various comparisons of measured quantities with the predictions of nuclear models, such as the optical model. As in the last edition, additional features have been added to appeal to a wider spectrum of users. These include: spin-dependent scattering lengths that are of interest to solid-state physicists, nuclear physicists and neutron evaluators; calculated and measured Maxwellian average 5-keV and 30-keV capture cross sections of importance to astrophysicists involved in nucleosynthesis modeling; s-, p-, and d-wave average radiative widths; and, nuclear level density parameters. Provides a comparison of average resonance parameters with optical model calculations and with the generalized Landau-Fermi model Presents scattering radii for various partial waves from the analysis of total neutron cross sections in the keV to MeV energy region Includes a brief review of sub-threshold fission Examines consistent treatment of average neutron parameters with values from the resolved resonance region

The Atlas of Neutron Resonances provides detailed information on neutron resonances, thermal neutron cross sections, and average resonance properties which are important to neutron physicist, astrophysicists, solid state physicists, reactor engineers, scientists involved in activation analysis, and evaluators of neutron cross sections. · Compilation and evaluation of the world's thermal neutron cross-sections and resonance parameters for neutron physicists, reactor engineers, and neutron evaluators.· Compilation and evaluation of coherent scattering lengths for solid state physicists and evaluators· Compilation and evaluation of average 30-keV capture cross sections for astrophysicists.· Nuclear level density parameters derived from average spacings of neutron resonances following a new approach (new feature for this edition).· Brief review of sub-threshold fission.· Comparisons of optical model predictions with neutron strength function data and scattering lengths.· Estimation of average E1 radiative widths on the basis of the generalized Landau-Fermi liquid model (a new feature for this edition).

Neutron Cross Sections, Volume 1: Neutron Resonance Parameters and Thermal Cross Sections, Part A represents the fourth edition of what was previously known as BNL-325, Neutron Cross Sections, Volume 1. This three-chapter book provides the extensive list of detailed individual resonance parameters for each isotope. The first chapter deals with the thermal cross sections and average resonance parameters, as well as the physics of thermal and resonance neutrons, with particular emphasis on evaluation methods. This chapter also includes tables of standards of capture cross sections and scattering lengths, and commonly used nuclear physics formulas. The second chapter covers the direct or valence capture and the Brink-Axel treatment of electric dipole radiation. These topics are followed by a discussion on spin-dependent scattering lengths that are of interest to solid state. The third chapter describes the Maxwellian 30-keV capture cross sections that are of importance to studies of nucleosynthesis and age of the universe. This chapter also examines the s- and p-wave average radiative widths and gamma-ray strength functions that are required in capture cross section measurements. This book will appeal to nuclear and astrophysicists.

Recent evaluations of neutron cross section covariances in the resolved resonance region reveal the need for further research in this area. Major issues include declining uncertainties in multigroup representations and proper treatment of scattering radius uncertainty. To address these issues, the present work introduces a practical method based on kernel approximation using resonance parameter uncertainties from the Atlas of Neutron Resonances. Analytical expressions derived for average cross sections in broader energy bins along with their sensitivities provide transparent tool for determining cross section uncertainties. The role of resonance-resonance and bin-bin correlations is specifically studied. As an example we apply this approach to estimate (n,?) and (n, el) covariances for the structural material 55Mn.

We describe new method for energy-energy covariance calculation from the thermal energy up to 20 MeV. It is based on three powerful basic components: (i) Atlas of Neutron Resonances in the resonance region; (ii) the nuclear reaction model code EMPIRE in the unresolved resonance and fast neutron regions, and (iii) the Bayesian code KALMAN for correlations and error propagation. Examples for cross section uncertainties and correlations on 9°Zr and 193Ir illustrate this approach in the resonance and fast neutron regions.

Refined knowledge of the thermal neutron cross sections of the fissile nuclides and of the (n, .cap alpha.) reaction standards, together with the reasonably well known energy dependence of the latter, have permitted resonance-region and low-keV fissile nuclide cross sections to be based on these standards together with count-rate ratios observed as a function of energy using a pulsed ''white'' source. As one evaluates cross sections for energies above 20 keV, optimum results require combination of cross section shape measurements with all available absolute measurements. The assumptions of the ''thermal normalization method'' are reviewed, and an opinion is given of the status of some of the standards required for its use. The complications which may limit the accuracy of results using the method are listed and examples are given. For the 235U(n, f) cross section, the option is discussed of defining resonance-region fission integrals as standards. The area of the approximately 9 eV resonances in this nuclide may be known to one percent accuracy, but at present the fission integral from 0.1 to 1.0 keV is known to no better than about two percent. This uncertainty is based on the scatter among independent results, and has not been reduced by the most recent measurements. This uncertainty now limits the accuracy attainable for the 235U(n, f) cross section below about 50 keV. Suggestions are given to indicate how future detailed work might overcome past sources of error.