Measurement and Analysis of Neutron Spectra in Lithium Fluoride and Polytetrafluoroethylene Piles

For the assessment of neutron cross section data for fluorine, angular neutron spectra in the lithium fluoride (LiF) and polytetrafluoroethylene ((CF₂)n) piles were measured in the energy range from a few keV to a few MeV by the time-of-flight method with an electron linac, and the results were compared with those calculated by using nuclear data from JENDL-2 and ENDF/B-IV. Spatial distributions of neutron and X-ray fluxes were also measured in the test piles by the activation method, and the influence of photoneutrons generated in the sample material on the neutron spectrum in each pile was estimated. As a result, it was found that their influence on the neutron spectrum shape below 1 MeV was not so large as was necessary to be taken into account for the present assessment.

The calculated spectra using the JENDL-2 data and the ENDF/B-IV data show generally good agreement with those measured in both piles. However, both calculations underestimate the neutron fluxes around several 100 keV, and overestimate those below 100 keV, when they are normalized in the energy range of 10 keV～1 MeV. Large discrepancies are found between the shapes of the measured and calculated spectra around the resonances of fluorine cross section below 100 keV. The present measurements and analyses suggest that the reevaluations of the inelastic and elastic scattering cross sections below 1MeV and the resonance cross sections below 100 keV are necessary to reduce the observed discrepancies.     

Fission Spectrum Averaged Cross Sections of Some Threshold Reactions Measured with Fast Reactor “YAYOI”

Abstract

Fission spectrum averaged cross sections of twenty one threshold reactions were measured in the core center of YAYOI which was a fast neutron source reactor. Fast neutron spectrum in the core was experimentally determined by using a set of activation foils and micro-fission counters, prior to the cross section measurement. It was found that the shape of the fast neutron spectrum was approximately the same as that of fission neutrons above about 2MeV. This fact was also supported by theoretical calculation.

Since this neutron field has scarce thermal and epithermal neutrons, measurement of nuclei produced by threshold reactions is not affected by (n, γ) reactions which are induced by thermal and epithermal neutrons. Moreover, considerably high fast neutron flux (about 5 x 10¹¹n/cm²·sec) enables to measure cross sections of small values.

The results in general agreed with the previous values obtained in a reactor core or with a fission plate within an experimental error, while they were systematically smaller by about 10% than those recommended by Fabry. The measured values are also compared with the results calculated by Pearlstein based on a statistical model.     

Double-Differential Neutron Emission Cross Sections of 6Li and 7Li at Incident Neutron Energies of 4.2, 5.4, 6.0 and 14.2 MeV

Energy-angle double-differential neutron emission cross sections of lithium isotopes were measured at incident neutron energies of 4.2, 5.4 and 14.2 MeV for ⁶Li and of 5.4, 6.0 and 14.2 MeV for ⁷Li using a time-of-flight spectrometer. Care was taken in background subtraction and in data correction for sample-size effects. Detailed comparison of the present results was made with the evaluated data in JENDL-3PR1. A spectrum fitting method was used to extract the ^6,7Li(n, n'x)α and (n, 2n) reaction cross sections. Neutrons emitted from the (n, 2n) reactions were well described by the conventional evaporation model. A simple calculation with a final-state Coulomb interaction was effectively applied for the ^6,7Li(n, n'x)α reactions. Angle-integrated cross sections of the ⁷Li(n, n't)α reaction were in good agreement with the JENDL-3PR1 data except the data measured at 6.0MeV. The angular distributions of elastically and inelastically scattered neutrons were successfully analyzed with the coupled-channel method at the incident neutron energy of 14.2 MeV.     

The integral experiment on beryllium with D-T neutrons for verification of tritium breeding

A clean benchmark experiment on beryllium was performed with D-T neutrons at the FNS facility of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. The main objective was to verify the integral data related to the tritium production on lithium isotopes. Tritium production rates, as well as activation reaction rates were measured inside the beryllium assembly that was shaped as a pseudo-cylindrical slab with an area-equivalent diameter of 628 mm and a thickness of 355 mm. Experimental results were analyzed with a three-dimensional Monte Carlo transport code MCNP-4C and FENDL/MC-2.0, JENDL-3.2/3.3 neutron transport libraries. Evaluation of reaction rates was based on the cross section data taken from the JENDL Dosimetry File and ENDF B-VI data libraries. Analysis shows that all calculation combinations (transport and activation cross section libraries) used for evaluation of reaction rates give data that is agreeable with measured values within 10%.     

Measurement of Gamma-Ray Production Cross Sections of Iron for Incident Neutron Energies between 6 and 33 MeV

Measurement of differential γ-ray production cross sections, i.e. (n, x γ) cross sections, of Fe was made for neutron energies from 6 to 33 MeV. Neutrons used in the experiment were white neutrons produced with (p, n) reactions by 35 MeV protons using a thick Be target. The neutron energy was analyzed by the time-of-flight method and bunched into 3 MeV wide energy bins, for each of which the spectrum of secondary γ-rays produced in an Fe sample was measured by a BGO scintillator at an angle of 144° to the neutron beam direction.

The obtained (n, xγ) cross sections agreed well with other data and the evaluated data file of ENDF/B-IV at neutron energies below 15 MeV where data were existing. The JENDL-3 file overestimated the γ-ray spectra at γ-ray energies of 3 to 7 MeV. The present work newly provided the data in the neutron energy range above 20 MeV. The GNASH calculation made by Young reproduced the measured data fairly well even at these higher energies.     

Neutron Total Cross Section for Iron around Resonance Valley near 24 keV

A neutron leakage spectrum from a nickel sphere surrounding a 14-MeV neutron source is measured and analyzed in order to verify the accuracy of nickel cross sections. Measurement is done by means of a time-of-flight technique in the range of 2–15 MeV using an NE213 scintillator, and compared with calculations carried out with MCNP, a continuous energy Monte Carlo transport code, using JENDL-3PR1 and ENDFIB-IV neutron libraries.

In spite of an overestimation of neutron flux near 13 MeV, the calculated result employing JENDL-3PR1 shows generally better agreement with the measured spectrum. In ENDF/B-IV usage, there is disagreement between measured and calculated spectra between 5 and 12 MeV. Problems in evaluated nuclear data for nickel are also described.     

Measurements of Thermal Neutron Cross Section and Resonance Integral for 237Np(n, γ)238Np Reaction

Making use of a standard neutron spectrum field with a pure Maxwellian distribution, the thermal neutron cross section for the ²³⁷Np(n, γ)²³⁸Np reaction was measured at a neutron energy of 0.0253 eV by the activation method. The result is 158±3 b, which is obtained relative to the reference value of 98.65±0.09 b for the ¹⁹⁷Au(n, γ)¹⁹⁸Au reaction. Although the data in JENDL-3 is larger by about 15% than the present value, the recently revised data in JENDL-3.2 is close to the present. The ENDF/B-V, ENDF/B-VI, JEF-2 and Mughabghab's data are also larger by 7–15%. Old measurements are larger by 7–18% than the present data.

The resonance integral for the ²³⁷Np(n, γ)²³⁸Np reaction was also measured relative to the reference value of 1,550±28 b for the ¹⁹⁷Au(n, γ)¹⁹⁸Au reaction with a 1/E standard neutron spectrum field. By defining the Cd cut-off energy as 0.5 eV for the ²³⁷Np(n, γ)²³⁸Np reaction, the present resonance integral is 652 ± 24 b, which is in good agreement with the JENDL-3, -3.2, ENDF/B-V, -VI, JEF-2 and Mughabghab's data. However, most of the old experimental data are, in general, larger by 24–38% than the present measurement.     

Method of Measuring Boron-10 Depletion in Control Blade

The neutron capture cross sections and capture γ-ray spectra of ^143,145,146Nd were measured in the neutron energy region of 10 to 90 keV and at 550 keV. A neutron time-of-flight method was adopted with a 1.5-ns pulsed neutron source by the ⁷Li(p, n)⁷Be reaction and with a large anti-Compton NaI(Tl) γ-ray spectrometer. A pulse-height weighting technique was applied to observed capture γ-ray pulse-height spectra to derive capture yields. The capture cross sections were obtained with the error of about 5% by using the standard capture cross sections of ¹⁹⁷Au. The evaluated values of JENDL-3.2 and previous measurements were compared with the present results. The capture γ-ray spectra were obtained by unfolding the observed capture γ-ray pulse-height spectra. An anomalous shoulder was observed around 2 MeV in the γ-ray spectra of ^145,146Nd, and the energy position of the shoulder was consistent with the systematics obtained in our previous work.     

Preliminary Experiments on Accelerator-Driven Subcritical Reactor with Pulsed Neutron Generator in Kyoto University Critical Assembly

A series of preliminary experiments on an accelerator-driven subcritical reactor (ADSR) with 14 MeV neutrons were conducted at Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA) with the prospect of establishing a new neutron source for research. A critical assembly of a solid-moderated and -reflected core was combined with a Cockcroft-Walton-type accelerator. A neutron shield and a beam duct were installed in the reflector region for directing as large a number as possible of the high-energy 14MeV neutrons generated by deuteron-tritium (D-T) reactions to the fuel region, since the tritium target is located outside the core. And then, neutrons (14MeV) were injected into a subcritical system through a polyethylene reflector. The objectives of this paper are to investigate the neutron design accuracy of the ADSR with 14MeV neutrons and to examine experimentally the neutronic properties of the ADSR with 14MeV neutrons at KUCA. The reaction rate distribution and the neutron spectrum were measured by the foil activation method for investigating the neutronic properties of the ADSR with 14 MeV neutrons. The eigenvalue and fixed-source calculations were executed using a continuous-energy Monte Carlo calculation code MCNP-4C3 with ENDF/B-VI.2 for the subcriticality and the reaction rate distribution, respectively; the unfolding calculation was done using the SAND-II code coupled with JENDL Activation Cross Section File 96 for the neutron spectrum. The values of the calculated subcriticality and the reaction rate distribution were in good agreement with those of the experiments. The results of the experiments and the calculations demonstrated that the installation of the neutron shield and the beam duct was experimentally valid and that the MCNP-4C3 calculations were accurately carried out for analyzing the neutronic properties of the ADSR with 14MeV neutrons at KUCA.     

板状Bi样品泄漏中子和γ谱实验测量与模拟计算

通过飞行时间法,测量了氘氘脉冲中子与不同厚度209Bi样品作用后61°和119°方向的泄漏中子飞行时间谱和泄漏γ能谱,样品尺寸分别为30 cm×30 cm×5 cm、30 cm×30 cm×10 cm和30 cm×30 cm×15 cm。采用BC501A液体闪烁体探测器测量0.8～3.2 MeV能区的泄漏中子飞行时间谱,钾冰晶石探测器（CLYC）测量0.2～0.8 MeV的泄漏中子飞行时间谱和泄漏γ能谱。用MCNP-4C程序对泄漏中子飞行时间谱和泄漏γ能谱进行了模拟计算,²⁰⁹Bi的评价中子核数据分别采用了CENDL-3.1库、ENDF/B-Ⅷ.0库、JENDL-4.0库以及JEFF-3.3库中的数据,模拟结果分别与实验结果进行比较分析,研究结果表明,泄漏中子谱CENDL-3.1库的模拟结果在119°方向弹性峰位置有较严重的低估现象,JENDL-4.0库在1.5 MeV附近（第二非弹能区）有一定高估,而在低能区有明显低估;泄漏γ能谱JENDL-4.0库和JEFF-3.3库的模拟结果与实验结果偏差明显,而CENDL-3.1库符合较好。     

Development of the high-energy neutron fluence rate standard field in Japan with a peak energy of 45 MeV using the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction at TIARA

In this study, we developed a 45 MeV neutron fluence rate standard of Japan. Quasi-monoenergetic neutrons with a peak energy of 45 MeV in the neutron standard field were produced by the ⁷Li(p,n)⁷Be reaction using a 50-MeV proton beam from an azimuthally varying field (AVF) cyclotron of the Takasaki Ion Accelerators for Advanced Radiation Application (TIARA). The neutron energy spectrum was measured using an organic liquid scintillation detector and a ⁶Li-glass scintillation detector by the time-of-flight method, and using a Bonner sphere spectrometer by the unfolding method. The absolute neutron fluence was determined using a proton recoil telescope (PRT) composed of the liquid scintillation detector and a Si(Li) detector that was newly developed in the present study. The detection efficiency of the PRT was obtained using the MCNPX code. The peak neutron production cross section for the ⁷Li(p,n)⁷Be reaction was also derived from the neutron fluence in order to confirm the neutron fluence of the TIARA high-energy neutron field. The peak neutron production cross section obtained in the present study was in good agreement with those of previous studies. The characteristics of the 45-MeV neutron field in TIARA were successfully evaluated in order to calibrate high-energy neutron detectors and high-energy neutron dosimeters.     

Geometrical Interpretation of Mutual Relatonship between Ordinary Coherence and Noise Power Contribution Ratio

Angular neutron fluxes leaking from the surface of lithium-oxide and graphite slab assemblies have been measured with irradiation of D-T neutrons. The spectrum measurement was performed using the time-of-flight technique with an NE213 scintillation detector. The thicknesses of the slabs were 0.6 to 5 mean free path for 14.8 MeV neutrons, and the measured leaking angles of the angular fluxes were 0.0°, 12.2°, 24.9°, 41.8° and 66.8°. The experimental results have been compared with the results calculated by the continuous energy Monte Carlo transport code MCNP, using the data in the JENDL-3PR1, ?3PR2, and ENDF/B-V nuclear data files. The comparisons between the experimental and calculated results show that the data of ⁷Li in JENDL-3PR2 is improved for the secondary emission spectra of the 4.63 MeV level and (n, 2n) reactions; the angular distributions of 3rd-and 4th-level inelastic reactions of C in the JENDLs are questionable. The thickness dependences for high energy neutrons also suggest that the total cross section of ⁷Li and the elastic cross sections of C are slightly inadequate.     

Feedback on neutron capture cross sections of 238Pu and 241Am from analyses of measured isotopic compositions of irradiated LWR fuels and MOX core physics experiments

The atomic fractions of ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴¹Am in MOX fuels recycled in light water reactors are 1% to 2% and not significant compared with those of major Pu isotopes. On the other hand, recent evaluated nuclear data libraries, such as JENDL-4.0 and JEFF-3.2, give noticeably different thermal and epithermal neutron capture cross sections for ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴¹Am. The thermal neutron capture cross sections of ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴¹Am in JEFF-3.2 are 31% and 9% larger than those of JENDL-4.0, respectively. This paper shows the effect of the differences in the neutron cross sections on analysis results of two different integral experiments. The first is the isotopic compositions of ²³⁸Pu on UO₂ and MOX fuels irradiated in BWR and PWR, and the second is the critical experiments of the water moderated cores fully loaded with MOX fuels. The former was analyzed by using the continuous energy Monte Carlo burnup calculation code MVP-BURN and the latter by the continuous energy Monte Carlo calculation code MVP. The comparisons between the calculated and measured results indicate that the most likely thermal and epithermal neutron capture cross sections of ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴¹Am should be around at the middle between those of JEFF-3.2 and JENDL-4.0.     

Evaluation of Neutron Cross Sections of Plutonium-241

The neutron cross sections of ²⁴¹Pu were evaluated in the energy range between 10^?5 eV and 15MeV, and are stored in the Japanese Evaluated Nuclear Data Library Version-1 (JENDL-1). In the energy range below 100eV, the evaluated data contained in ENDE/B-IV and the resonance parameters recommended in BNL-325 were tentatively adopted. The unresolved resonance parameters were determined between 100 eV and 21.5 keV so as to reproduce the experimental data of the fission and capture cross sections. Above 21.5 keV, the fission cross section was evaluated on the basis of the experimental data, most of which were reported as the ratio to the fission cross section of ²³⁵U and then were normalized by the fission cross section of ²³⁵U adopted in JENDL-1. The capture cross section was obtained from the experimental data of a in the energy range up to 250 keV. The capture cross section above 250 keV and the elastic and inelastic scattering, (n, 2n) and (n, 3n) reaction cross sections above 21.5 keV were obtained on the basis of the theoretical calculations. The calculated cross sections are connected smoothly with those obtained from the unresolved resonance parameters at 21.5 keV. This suggests the self-consistency of the present evaluation.     

Neutron Nuclear Data Evaluation for Thorium-232

An evaluation was made on the neutron cross sections, resonance parameters and average neutron yield in fission for ²³²Th in the energy range from thermal energy to 20 MeV. The fission and capture cross sections were evaluated on the basis of the experimental data by converting the relative ratio data into cross section values by making use of recent evaluations for reference cross sections. The total cross section was determined from experimental data in the region from 24 keV to 15 MeV and then extrapolated to lower and higher energies by using the optical model whose parameters had been adjusted as so to reproduce the measured data. The elastic and inelastic scattering, (n, 2n) and (n, 3n) reaction cross sections were calculated by means of the statistical model combined with the optical model. A set of resonance parameters were recommended in the energy range below 3.5 keV and average resonance parameters were deduced in the unresolved resonance region. A value of 7.40 b was chosen for the capture cross section at 0.025 eV, and the picket-fence negative-energy levels were introduced so as to reproduce the non-l/v behavior of the capture cross section in the epithermal region.

The results were incorporated in the Japanese Evaluated Nuclear Data Library, Version 2 (JENDL-2). Comparison was made between the present and other evaluations such as ENDF/B-V and possible reasons for the discrepancy were discussed.     

Detail analysis of fusion neutronics benchmark experiment for iron

In order to specify the best nuclear data on iron, the fusion neutronics benchmark experiment on iron at Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)/Fusion Neutronics Source (FNS) was analyzed in detail with MCNP-4C and the latest nuclear data libraries, JENDL-3.3, FENDL-2.1, JEFF-3.1 and ENDF/B-VII.0. As a result, totally the calculation result with ENDF/B-VII.0 agreed with the measurement best, except that it underestimated the measured neutron flux above 10 MeV with the depth. It was noted that the calculation result with JENDL-3.3 overestimated the measured neutrons below a few keV. Through the DORT calculations based on the iron data in ENDF/B-VII.0, it was found out that the first inelastic scattering cross-section data of ⁵⁷Fe in JENDL-3.3 caused the overestimation.     

Assessment of Neutron Cross Sections for Titanium with Neutron Spectrum in Titanium Pile

The measurement of angular neutron spectrum in a quasi-spherical pile of Ti was carried out by the linac time-of-flight method for the assessment of neutron cross sections for Ti in the energy range from a few keV to a few MeV. The measured spectrum in the pile is generally in good agreement with the calculated one from ENDF/B-IV (MAT = 1,286 for Ti) except in the energy range from about 60 keV to a few 100 keV, where the calculation gives considerably lower neutron flux than the measurement.

In order to investigate the cause of this discrepancy between the measured and calculated spectra, the total cross sections for Ti were measured by the transmission method. The results give larger values of total cross sections for Ti by about 30% than ENDF/B-IV below 200 keV, and smaller values by about 10% above 200 keV. These results were ensured at 55 and 147 keV by the measurement using a Si-filtered neutron beam. The calculation based on the measured cross sections shows better agreement with the measured spectrum than that based on ENDF/B-IV. The discrepancy is still observed around 100 keV.

The sensitivity analysis shows the importance of cross sections above 1 MeV and elastic cross sections in the resonance energy region to solve the disagreement between the measured spectrum and the calculated one.     

Neutron Capture Cross Section Measurement of Praseodymium in the Energy Region from 0.003 eV to 140 keV

The neutron capture cross section of praseodymium (¹⁴¹Pr) has been measured relative to the ¹⁰B(n,αγ) standard cross section in the energy region from 0.003 eV to 140 keV by the neutron time-of-flight (TOF) method with a 46-MeV electron linear accelerator (linac) of the Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University (KURRI). An assembly of Bi₄Ge₃O₁₂ (BGO) scintillators was used for the capture cross section measurement. In addition, the thermal neutron cross section (2,200 m/s value) of the ¹⁴¹Pr(n, γ)¹⁴²Pr reaction has been also measured by an activation method at the heavy water thermal neutron facility of the Kyoto University Reactor (KUR). The thermal neutron flux was monitored with the ¹⁹⁷Au(n, γ)¹⁹⁸Au standard cross section. The above TOF measurement has been normalized to the current activation data (11.6±1.3 b) at 0.0253 eV.

The evaluated data in JENDL-3.3, ENDF/B-VI, and JEF-2.2 have been in general agreement with the current result, except that the JENDL-3.3 and the JEF-2.2 values are clearly lower than the measurement in the cross section minimum region from about 10 to 500 eV.     

Measurements of Double-Differential Neutron Emission Cross Sections of 6Li, 7Li and 9Be for 11.5 MeV and 18.0 MeV Neutrons

Double-differential neutron emission cross sections (DDXs) of ⁶Li, ⁷Li and ⁹Be were measured for 18.0 MeV and 11.5 MeV incident neutrons produced by the T(d, n) and ¹⁵N(d, n) reactions respectively, using the Tohoku University Dynamitron time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometer. The data were obtained at 13 laboratory angles, and angular-differential cross sections (ADXs) of elastic and inelastic scattering neutrons were derived from the DDXs. For 11.5 MeV neutrons, we obtained the neutron emission spectra over the secondary neutron energies by newly employing the double TOF method as well as the conventional one. In the measurements at 18.0 MeV, we achieved better energy resolution than in our previous studies by using a neutron detector that has a larger solid angle and a thinner tritium target. The experimental results of DDXs and ADXs were compared with our previous results and the evaluated data given in JENDL-3.2, JENDL Fusion File and ENDF/B-VI. It is found that the JENDL data reproduce the experimental ones very well.     

Reaction rate analyses of accelerator-driven system experiments with 100 MeV protons at Kyoto University Critical Assembly

At the Kyoto University Critical Assembly, a series of reaction rate experiments is conducted on the accelerator-driven system (ADS) with spallation neutrons generated by the combined use of 100 MeV protons and a lead–bismuth target in the subcritical state. The reaction rates are measured by the foil activation method to obtain neutron spectrum information on ADS. Numerical calculations are performed with MCNP6.1 and JENDL/HE-2007 for high-energy protons and spallation process, JENDL-4.0 for transport and JENDL/D-99 for reaction rates. That the reaction rates depend on subcriticality is revealed by the accuracy of the C/E (calculation/experiment) values. Nonetheless, the accuracy of the reaction rates at high-energy thresholds remains an important issue in the fixed-source calculations. From reaction rate analyses, the indium ratio is newly defined as another spectrum index with the combined use of ¹¹⁵In(n, γ)^116mIn and ¹¹⁵In(n, n′)^115mIn reaction rates, and considered useful in examining the neutron spectrum information on ADS with spallation neutrons.