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DOE OSTI2025

An Evaluation of Actinide Reactivity with CO 2 , O 2 , and O 2 /He Gases using Inductively Coupled Plasma Tandem Mass Spectrometry: Application to Simultaneous Measurement of 241 Am/ 241 Pu Ratios in Unseparated Complex Matrices

Accurate actinide measurements are critical within the field of nuclear science. Traditional methods for actinide quantification require time-consuming sample processing prior to analysis. There is a need for rapid analytical techniques that still maintain a high degree of accuracy. In this work, actinide reactivity was assessed for multiple oxygen-containing reaction gases using quadrupole inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (Q-ICP-MS/MS) to evaluate actinide analysis in complex sample matrices without analyte-matrix separation. A novel method was developed to measure 241 Am/ 241 Pu in complex sample matrices using O 2 /He reaction gas with no matrix removal or analyte pre-concentration. This inline method reduces matrix-derived polyatomic interferences that complicate traditional ICP-MS analyses by mass-shifting to 241 Am 16 O + and 241 Pu 16 O 2 + , allowing Am and Pu to be mass separated for simultaneous analysis. While mass shifting is efficient, a small portion of Am + (<1.3%) and Pu + (<1.4%) react to from AmO 2 + and PuO + , respectively. Therefore, a mass balance approach was used, in combination with reactivity determined from 242 Pu and 243 Am standard solutions, to correct for residual 241 PuO + and 241 AmO 2 + . The method was validated by measuring 241 Am/ 241 Pu in Pu isotope standards CRM-136 and CRM-137 (separated in March/April 1970 and February 2022, respectively) in both neat solutions and complex matrices containing diluted soil (NIST SRM 2711a, >1000 µg·g -1 ). Method detection limits of 15.9 and 9.6 fg·g -1 were determined for 241 Am and 241 Pu, respectively, and 241 Am/ 241 Pu ratios were measured with accuracies within <3.5%. In conclusion, this work presents the first direct analysis of 241 Am/ 241 Pu in unseparated complex matrices, advancing capabilities for rapid actinide measurements.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2024

Validation of new and existing methods for time-domain simulations of turbulence and loads

We seek to obtain a second-by-second match between the simulated and measured structural loads of a utility-scale wind turbine. To obtain the one-to-one load simulations, we start with the furthest upstream component of the modeling chain: the turbulent inflow. We consider new and existing methods to generate constrained-turbulence flow fields. The new method is based on large-eddy simulations (LES) and machine learning (ML). The existing methods include Kaimal-based TurbSim and the superstatistical wind field model. The inflow measurements used to constrain these simulations are obtained with a nacelle-mounted scanning lidar. We compare the flow fields for the different inflow simulation approaches and validate their associated load predictions against measurements collected in the Rotor Aero-dynamics, Aeroelastics, and Wake (RAAW) field campaign. We find that the rotor-position control developed for this study is key in enabling the time match between measurements and simulations. When this control approach is used, the load simulation performance tracks with the inflow simulation fidelity, with LES+ML yielding errors ≤ 4% for the damage-equivalent loads of flapwise bending moment, and tower fore-aft bending moments.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2018

The clustering of the SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey DR14 quasar sample: a tomographic measurement of cosmic structure growth and expansion rate based on optimal redshift weights

We develop a new method, which is based on the optimal redshift weighting scheme, to extract the maximal tomographic information of baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO) and redshift space distortions (RSD) from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) Data Release 14 quasar (DR14Q) survey. We validate our method using the Extended Zel’dovich mocks, and apply our pipeline to the eBOSS DR14Q sample in the redshift range of 0.8 < z < 2.2. We report a joint measurement of fσ8 and two-dimensional BAO parameters D A and H at four effective redshifts of z eff = 0.98, 1.23, 1.52, and 1.94, and provide the full data covariance matrix. Using our measurement combined with BOSS DR12, Main Galaxy Sample (MGS), and 6 degree Field Galaxy Survey (6dFGS) BAO measurements, we find that the existence of dark energy is supported by observations at a 7.4σ significance level. Combining our measurement with BOSS DR12 and Planck observations, we constrain the gravitational growth index to be γ = 0.580 ± 0.082, which is fully consistent with the prediction of general relativity. This paper is part of a set that analyses the eBOSS DR14 quasar sample.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

On state-of-charge determination for lithium-ion batteries

Accurate estimation of state-of-charge (SOC) of a battery through its life remains challenging in battery research. Although improved precisions continue to be reported at times, almost all are based on regression methods empirically, while accuracy is often not properly addressed. Here, a comprehensive review is set to address such issues, from fundamental principles that are supposed to define SOC to methodologies to estimate SOC for practical use. It covers topics from calibration, regression (including modeling methods) to validation in terms of precision and accuracy. At the end, we intend to answer the following questions: 1) can SOC estimation be self-adaptive without bias? 2) Why Ah-counting is a necessity in almost all battery-model-assisted regression methods? 3) How to establish a consistent framework of coupling in multi-physics battery models? 4) To assess the accuracy in the SOC estimation, statistical methods should be employed to analyze factors that contribute to the uncertainty. Finally, we hope, through this proper discussion of the principles, accurate SOC estimation can be widely achieved.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2018

In situ coherent diffractive imaging

Coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) has been widely applied in the physical and biological sciences using synchrotron radiation, X-ray free-electron laser, high harmonic generation, electrons, and optical lasers. One of CDI’s important applications is to probe dynamic phenomena with high spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we report the development of a general in situ CDI method for real-time imaging of dynamic processes in solution. By introducing a time-invariant overlapping region as real-space constraint, we simultaneously reconstructed a time series of complex exit wave of dynamic processes with robust and fast convergence. We validated this method using optical laser experiments and numerical simulations with coherent X-rays. Our numerical simulations further indicated that in situ CDI can potentially reduce radiation dose by more than an order of magnitude relative to conventional CDI. With further development, we envision in situ CDI could be applied to probe a range of dynamic phenomena in the future.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2022

Neutrinoless double-β decay: Combining quantum Monte Carlo and the nuclear shell model with the generalized contact formalism

Neutrinoless double beta decay searches can determine the Majorana nature of neutrinos, the absolute neutrino mass, and provide invaluable insights on the matter dominance of the universe. However, the uncertainty in the nuclear matrix elements that govern the decay limits the physics reach of these experiments. Here, we devise a novel framework based on the generalized contact formalism that combines the nuclear shell model and quantum Monte Carlo methods and compute the neutrinoless double-beta decay of nuclei used in the most advanced experiments, including 76 Ge, 130 Te, and 136 Xe. Our results cover all relevant terms, including the leading-order short-range operator recognized recently. We validate our method in light nuclei by comparing against accurate variational Monte Carlo results. On heavy systems we obtain reduced nuclear matrix elements compared with previous calculations due to additional correlations captured by quantum Monte Carlo and introduced within the generalized contact formalism, suggesting longer decay half-lives than previously considered. On the other hand, we find an enhancement of the nuclear matrix elements due to the new short-range operator.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Extraction of the electron excess temperature in terahertz quantum cascade lasers from laser characteristics

Abstract We propose a method to extract the upper laser level’s (ULL’s) excess electronic temperature from the analysis of the maximum light output power ( P max ) and current dynamic range Δ J d = ( J max − J th ) of terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz QCLs). We validated this method, both through simulation and experiment, by applying it on THz QCLs supporting a clean three-level system. Detailed knowledge of electronic excess temperatures is of utmost importance in order to achieve high temperature performance of THz QCLs. Our method is simple and can be easily implemented, meaning an extraction of the excess electron temperature can be achieved without intensive experimental effort. This knowledge should pave the way toward improvement of the temperature performance of THz QCLs beyond the state-of-the-art.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2022

Using high-throughput amplicon sequencing to determine diet of generalist lady beetles in agricultural landscapes

Determining feeding relationships is central to understanding biological control potential in the field. However, methods to differentiate actual (or realized) feeding relationships from potential feeding relationships is lacking especially for small, generalist predators such as lady beetles. In this study, we used DNA metabarcoding approaches to characterize actual feeding relationships of lady beetles (Coccinellidae) in the field and validated our methods with a lab study. We first asked whether high-throughput amplicon sequencing (HTS) can characterize diets of lady beetles ranging from monotypic diets to diverse diet mixtures in the lab. We then examined whether diet composition and breadth of lady beetles collected from different habitat types in southern WI varied between monocultures of soybean and corn, diverse tallgrass prairie, and urban habitats. Lastly, we asked whether different body or tissue types (partial-body versus whole-body specimens) would change the likelihood of prey detection for both studies. In our controlled lab study, we found that HTS can accurately assess diet composition and diet breadth for lady beetle populations, but at the individual level, HTS has limitation for individuals feeding on more than three species of prey at any given time. In our field study, we documented lower prey richness and diet breadth in corn compared to soybean and grassland, and greater prey DNA in regurgitants than in whole-body specimens. Finally, we found that reduced diet diversity was associated with an increased prevalence of intraguild predation, but that habitat and prey diversity are not necessarily correlated. The prey detection rates (proportion of specimens with prey DNA) in our study were comparable to other studies (55% in the lab study, 33% in field study) and varied with diet composition and habitat type. Furthermore, the relatively low detection rates suggest that many consumer individuals would need to be assayed to fully assess diet diversity, especially in diverse systems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Dense plasma opacity via the multiple-scattering method

The calculation of the optical properties of hot dense plasmas with a model that has self-consistent plasma physics is a grand challenge for high energy density science. Here we exploit a recently developed electronic structure model that uses multiple scattering theory to solve the Kohn-Sham density functional theory equations for dense plasmas. Here we calculate opacities in this regime, validate the method, and apply it to recent experimental measurements of opacity for Cr, Ni, and Fe. Good agreement is found in the quasicontinuum region for Cr and Ni, while the self-consistent plasma physics of the approach cannot explain the observed difference between models and the experiment for Fe.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2018

Electromagnetic Shower from Cosmic Muons in NOvA Detector

NO$\nu$A (NuMI Off-Axis $\nu_e$ Appearance) experiment is a neutrino $\nu_\mu \rightarrow \nu_e$ oscillation experiment with a baseline of 810 km. The signature for a $\nu_\mu \rightarrow \nu_e$ oscillation in the far detector is the production of an electromagnetic (EM) shower due to the charge current (CC) interaction of $\nu_e$ with the detector material. Cosmic muon induced electromagnetic showers can serve as a source of EM shower sample that can be used as a data-driven method for validating the EM shower modelling and EM shower identification algorithms at NO$\nu$A. The work reported in the thesis is the first ever implementation of cosmic muon induced EM shower for such a purpose in the NO$\nu$A experiment. We extracted EM shower sample from two sources - muon undergoing bremsstrahlung (Brem) and muon decay in flight to electron (DiF). Brem sample, extracted from cosmic muon, turns out to be a very useful data-driven method for testing EM shower modelling and the part icle identification (PID) algorithms for the detection of $\nu_e$-CC interactions. A new muon removal (MR) technique is developed and applied to remove the muon hits inside the bremsstrahlung shower. However, a complete removal of the muon energy in the event is not possible with high efficiency. DiF induced EM shower, on the other hand, is exactly similar to $\nu_e$-CC EM shower because DiF is a pure electron initiated EM shower. Therefore, DiF EM shower, once extracted, mimicks the shower of a $\nu_e$-CC interaction event. We present the extraction methods for both brem and DiF events in MC and cosmic data in far and near detector of NO$\nu$A and its use in data driven validation of $\nu_e$ EM shower modelling and $\nu_e$ signal selection efficiency across the detector. A systematic uncertainty is also assigned on $\nu_e$ appearance signal selection based on this study to take into account the difference in EM shower modelling in data and MC.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2018

A Feature-Based Stochastic Permeability of Shale: Part 1—Validation and Two-Phase Permeability in a Utica Shale Sample

Estimate of permeability plays a crucial role in flow-based studies of fractured tight-rocks. It is well known that most of the flow through tight-rocks (e.g., shales) is controlled by permeable features (e.g., fractures, laminations, etc.), and there is negligible flow through the matrix. However, current approaches in the literature to model permeability of tight-rocks do not account for such features present within the rock ranging from micro-scale to field-scale. Current permeability modeling approach assumes a single continuum without considering the presence of permeable features within the matrix (e.g., micro-fractures) or outside the matrix (e.g., natural fractures). Although the laboratory-measured permeability implicitly captures discrete features present in that sample (e.g., fractures, laminations, micro-fractures), most of the permeability models proposed for shale do not account for these features. Fracture permeability in the literature is typically modeled using an ideal slit assumption; however, this highly overestimates its permeability because fractures in real medium are non-ideal in terms of their porosity and tortuosity, which affect their permeability. Additionally, the transition zone between fracture and matrix also affects the permeability of fracture. Here in this study, part of a two-part series, a new method to predict permeability of fractured shale by discretizing the medium into matrix (inorganic and organic) and fractures is presented. New analytical expressions of permeability are derived to account for non-ideal nature of porous medium and two-phase flow in fractures. Rock feature in each cell of the grid is identified as one of the three elements (organic matter, inorganic matter, or fracture), and permeability of that cell is estimated using a suitable analytical expression. This method allows estimating permeability at any scale of interest and more robustly than by a pure analytical approach. The proposed method is validated against local and global-scale measurements on three fractured samples from laboratory. Finally, the method is used to predict two-phase flow permeability of supercritical CO 2 displacing water within a fracture in a Utica shale sample. The proposed two-phase flow permeability equations can be used as a quick analytical tool to predict relative permeability estimates of two-phase flow in fractured shale samples. In Part 2, the proposed method is used to estimate field-scale permeability through an optimization process that uses field-scale production and other readily available information.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Transport coefficient approach for characterizing nonequilibrium dynamics in soft matter

Nonequilibrium states in soft condensed matter require a systematic approach to characterize and model materials, enhancing predictability and applications. Among the tools, X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) provides exceptional temporal and spatial resolution to extract dynamic insight into the properties of the material. However, existing models might overlook intricate details. We introduce an approach for extracting the transport coefficient, denoted as $J(t)$, from the XPCS studies. This coefficient is a fundamental parameter in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and is crucial for characterizing transport processes within a system. Our method unifies the Green–Kubo formulas associated with various transport coefficients, including gradient flows, particle–particle interactions, friction matrices, and continuous noise. We achieve this by integrating the collective influence of random and systematic forces acting on the particles within the framework of a Markov chain. We initially validated this method using molecular dynamics simulations of a system subjected to changes in temperatures over time. Subsequently, we conducted further verification using experimental systems reported in the literature and known for their complex nonequilibrium characteristics. The results, including the derived $J(t)$ and other relevant physical parameters, align with the previous observations and reveal detailed dynamical information in nonequilibrium states. This approach represents an advancement in XPCS analysis, addressing the growing demand to extract intricate nonequilibrium dynamics. Further, the methods presented are agnostic to the nature of the material system and can be potentially expanded to hard condensed matter systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2016

TU-H-CAMPUS-IeP3-01: Simultaneous PET Restoration and PET/CT Co-Segmentation Using a Variational Method

Purpose: PET images are usually blurred due to the finite spatial resolution, while CT images suffer from low contrast. Segment a tumor from either a single PET or CT image is thus challenging. To make full use of the complementary information between PET and CT, we propose a novel variational method for simultaneous PET image restoration and PET/CT images co-segmentation. Methods: The proposed model was constructed based on the Γ-convergence approximation of Mumford-Shah (MS) segmentation model for PET/CT co-segmentation. Moreover, a PET de-blur process was integrated into the MS model to improve the segmentation accuracy. An interaction edge constraint term over the two modalities were specially designed to share the complementary information. The energy functional was iteratively optimized using an alternate minimization (AM) algorithm. The performance of the proposed method was validated on ten lung cancer cases and five esophageal cancer cases. The ground truth were manually delineated by an experienced radiation oncologist using the complementary visual features of PET and CT. The segmentation accuracy was evaluated by Dice similarity index (DSI) and volume error (VE). Results: The proposed method achieved an expected restoration result for PET image and satisfactory segmentation results for both PET and CT images. For lung cancer dataset, the average DSI (0.72) increased by 0.17 and 0.40 than single PET and CT segmentation. For esophageal cancer dataset, the average DSI (0.85) increased by 0.07 and 0.43 than single PET and CT segmentation. Conclusion: The proposed method took full advantage of the complementary information from PET and CT images. This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute Grants R01CA172638. Shan Tan and Laquan Li were supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, under Grant Nos. 60971112 and 61375018.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

A Spatiotemporal Prediction Model for Regional Scheduling of Shared Bicycles Based on the INLA Method

Dock-less bicycle-sharing programs have been widely accepted as an efficient mode to benefit health and reduce congestions. And modeling and prediction has always been a core proposition in the field of transportation. Most of the existing demand prediction models for shared bikes take regions as research objects; therefore, a POI-based method can be a beneficial complement to existing research, including zone-level, OD-level, and station-level techniques. Point of interest (POI) is the location description of spatial entities, which can reflect the cycling route characteristics for both commuting and noncommuting trips to a certain extent, and is also the main generating point and attraction point of shared-bike travel flow. In this study, we make an effort to model a POI-level cycling demand with a Bayesian hierarchical method. The proposed model combines the integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) and random partial differential equation (SPDE) to cope with the huge computation in the modeling process. In particular, we have adopted the dock-less bicycle-sharing rental records of Mobike as a case study to validate our method; the study area was one of the fastest growing urban districts in Shanghai in August 2016. The operation results show that the method can help better understand, measure, and characterize spatiotemporal patterns of bike-share ridership at the POI level and quantify the impact of the spatiotemporal effect on bicycle-sharing use.

Yu, Zhuoran↗

DOE OSTI2022

Maximum likelihood estimation of difference scaling functions for suprathreshold judgments

Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) has been used to produce perceptual scales from binary judgments of triads and quadruples. This method relies on Thurstone’s theory of a stochastic perceptual process where the perceived difference of two stimuli is the difference in their perceived strengths. It is possible that the perception of a suprathreshold difference is overestimated when adding smaller differences, a phenomenon referred to as diminishing returns. The current approach to construct a perceptual scale using MLE does not account for this phenomenon. We present a way to model the perception of differences using MLE and Thurstone’s theory, adapted to allow the possibility of diminishing returns. This method is validated using Monte Carlo simulated responses to experimental triads and can correctly model diminishing returns, the absence of diminishing returns, and the opposite of diminishing returns both in the cases when a perceptual scale is known and when the true perceived strengths of the stimuli are unknown. Additionally, this method was applied to empirical data sets to determine its feasibility in investigations of perception. Ultimately, it was found that this analysis allows for more accurate modeling of suprathreshold difference judgments, a more complete understanding of the perceptual processes underlying comparisons, and the evaluation of Thurstone’s theory of difference judgments.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2016

SU-G-TeP1-06: Fast GPU Framework for Four-Dimensional Monte Carlo in Adaptive Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) for Mobile Tumors

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of fast Monte Carlo (MC) treatment planning and verification using four-dimensional CT (4DCT) for adaptive IMPT for lung cancer patients. Methods: A validated GPU MC code, gPMC, has been linked to the patient database at our institution and employed to compute the dose-influence matrices (Dij) on the planning CT (pCT). The pCT is an average of the respiratory motion of the patient. The Dijs and patient structures were fed to the optimizer to calculate a treatment plan. To validate the plan against motion, a 4D dose distribution averaged over the possible starting phases is calculated using the 4DCT and a model of the time structure of the delivered spot map. The dose is accumulated using vector maps created by a GPU-accelerated deformable image registration program (DIR) from each phase of the 4DCT to the reference phase using the B-spline method. Calculation of the Dij matrices and the DIR are performed on a cluster, with each field and vector map calculated in parallel. Results: The Dij production takes ∼3.5s per beamlet for 10e6 protons, depending on the energy and the CT size. Generating a plan with 4D simulation of 1000 spots in 4 fields takes approximately 1h. To test the framework, IMPT plans for 10 lung cancer patients were generated for validation. Differences between the planned and the delivered dose of 19% in dose to some organs at risk and 1.4/21.1% in target mean dose/homogeneity with respect to the plan were observed, suggesting potential for improvement if adaptation is considered. Conclusion: A fast MC treatment planning framework has been developed that allows reliable plan design and verification for mobile targets and adaptation of treatment plans. This will significantly impact treatments for lung tumors, as 4D-MC dose calculations can now become part of planning strategies.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2020

Detection of DoS Attacks Using ARFIMA Modeling of GOOSE Communication in IEC 61850 Substations

Integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in modern smart grids (SGs) offers many advantages including the use of renewables and an effective way to protect, control and monitor the energy transmission and distribution. To reach an optimal operation of future energy systems, availability, integrity and confidentiality of data should be guaranteed. Research on the cyber-physical security of electrical substations based on IEC 61850 is still at an early stage. In the present work, we first model the network traffic data in electrical substations, then, we present a statistical Anomaly Detection (AD) method to detect Denial of Service (DoS) attacks against the Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) network communication. According to interpretations on the self-similarity and the Long-Range Dependency (LRD) of the data, an Auto-Regressive Fractionally Integrated Moving Average (ARFIMA) model was shown to describe well the GOOSE communication in the substation process network. Based on this ARFIMA-model and in view of cyber-physical security, an effective model-based AD method is developed and analyzed. Two variants of the statistical AD considering statistical hypothesis testing based on the Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (GLRT) and the cumulative sum (CUSUM) are presented to detect flooding attacks that might affect the availability of the data. Our work presents a novel AD method, with two different variants, tailored to the specific features of the GOOSE traffic in IEC 61850 substations. The statistical AD is capable of detecting anomalies at unknown change times under the realistic assumption of unknown model parameters. The performance of both variants of the AD method is validated and assessed using data collected from a simulation case study. We perform several Monte-Carlo simulations under different noise variances. The detection delay is provided for each detector and it represents the number of discrete time samples after which an anomaly is detected. In fact, our statistical AD method with both variants (CUSUM and GLRT) has around half the false positive rate and a smaller detection delay when compared with two of the closest works found in the literature. Our AD approach based on the GLRT detector has the smallest false positive rate among all considered approaches. Whereas, our AD approach based on the CUSUM test has the lowest false negative rate thus the best detection rate. Depending on the requirements as well as the costs of false alarms or missed anomalies, both variants of our statistical detection method can be used and are further analyzed using composite detection metrics.

IEC 61850 electrical substations↗

DOE OSTI2016

The 2016 Edition of the IRPhEP Handbook

The International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) was established to preserve integral reactor physics experimental data, including separate or special effects data for nuclear energy and technology applications. Over the past several decades, numerous experiments have been performed worldwide to support reactor operations, measurements, design, and safety. These experiments represent a large investment of infrastructure, expertise, and cost, and are valuable resources of data for present and future research. These valuable assets provide the basis for recording, development, and validation of methods. If the experimental data are lost, the high cost to repeat many of these measurements may be prohibitive. The purpose of the IRPhEP is to provide an extensively peer-reviewed set of reactor physics-related integral data that can be used by reactor designers and safety analysts to validate the analytical tools used to design next-generation reactors and establish the safety basis for operation of those reactors. Contributors from around the world collaborate in the evaluation and review of selected benchmark experiments for inclusion in the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments (IRPhEP Handbook). Further information regarding the IRPhEP, including highlighted reactor physics benchmark evaluations, can be found in the November and December 2014 editions of Nuclear Science and Engineering. Several new evaluations have been prepared for inclusion in the September 2016 edition of the IRPhEP Handbook. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗