LLNL Analytical Methods Update [Slides]
Abstract not provided.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
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AMPX and SAMMY Status Report [Slides]
Abstract not provided.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
AMPX and SAMMY Status Report [Slides]
Abstract not provided.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
Neural Thermal Scattering (NeTS) Modules for Graphite & Beryllium [Slides]
This presentation discusses the motivations behind the project, which include facilitating compact formulation for TSL data, extending AI knowledge, and providing advanced reactor simulation framework. It also discusses how the project accounts for beryllium and graphite complexity, including atomistic, dynamical, and neural. Additionally, new material-informed neural thermal scattering (NeTS) Modules are examined. The implications, conclusions, and plan future work for the project are also discussed.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
Implementation of TSL Evaluations Beyond the Incoherent Approximation [Slides]
This presentation discusses the motivation behind the project, which is to facilitate the production of TSL libraries that contain high fidelity physics including coherent inelastic effects, such as graphite and beryllium. High fidelity TSL libraries are of interest in various applications, for example in relation to neutron scattering instrument response analysis and directional biases (reflection) in neutronic analysis. In summation, the removal of typical approximations, in terms of incoherent, cubic, and atom site are examined. The application of generalized equations to crystalline graphite and beryllium TSL evaluations and the validation of data and data formats is also discussed.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
Proposed Methodology for Evaluating and Validating TSLs [Slides]
This presentation begins by providing an overview of the research and discusses recent efforts in validating thermal neutron scattering cross sections, including differential cross section measurements at ORNL for evaluation and validation, total cross section measurements at RPI, pulsed-neutron die-away experiments at LLNL, and integral criticality experiments by LLNL. The presentation also proposes a methodology not only for validating thermal scattering files that utilizes all available experimental data, but also for evaluating new libraries as demonstrated on polystyrene. In conclusion, polystyrene evaluation was conducted using multiple experiments, including differential and integral. The proposed methodology has been shown to improve neutron transport and files have been submitted to NNDC for inclusion in ENDF/B-VIII.1 release. MCT-012 & PCM-002 has been relatively insensitive to changes in $\mathcal{S}(α,β)$. The research found that differences in differential results don’t always propagate to differences in integral results, hence why evaluation of differential data important. Future work on the project is also discussed.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
Proposed Generalized Header File for TSLs [Slides]
This presentation discusses several recent issues have been raised over the past few years regarding inconsistent definitions for the number of scattering atoms between incoherent elastic and inelastic (MT2 and MT4 files, respectively) in the same MF7 file and isotopic distribution of primary scattering atom. It also discusses how processing codes handle these potential issues in different ways. Additionally, it discusses how the preferred solution would be automation in order to reduce possibility of user error and a proposed solution in the form of a MF7/MT1 file is examined with preliminary examples. The presentation concludes with a question-and-answer discussion.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
Overview of Nuclear Data Measurement and Analysis at RPI [Slides]
This presentation discusses the experimental, simulation, and nuclear data methods that were validated for the RPI γ-Multiplicity Detector. When the neutron capture γ-cascade data is well-known, the γ-emission spectra can be accurately calculated using the modified simulation tools. The RPI γ-Multiplicity Detector system is now ready for analysis and recommendations for isotopes with deficiencies in γ-ray data. The presentation also discusses future work which includes developing a method for analyzing and adjusting nuclear data for 59 Co, 55 Mn and other measured isotopes including 181 Ta. Additionally, future work includes comparing experimental γ-emission spectra with MCNP-6.2/DICEBOX simulations for 238 U and 235 U. In summation, new capture and transmission measurements for 54 Fe will help improve resonance parameter evaluation. Neutron capture gamma cascade spectra and yields were measured in the resolved resonance region and compared to evaluations. In addition, the pulsed neutron die-away method was developed as a tool to provide data for validation of TSLs.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
RECENT AMPX developments [Slides]
This presentation covers recent AMPX developments. Presentation highlights include the news of AMPX being openly available, link to source and configure options are included. The interconnections between AMPX and Generalized Nuclear Database Structure (GNDS) are additionally highlighted as well.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
Evaluation of Thermal Neutron Scattering Cross Section of Uranium Silicide with Ab Initio Lattice Dynamics
Uranium silicide (U 3 Si 2 ) is a candidate material for the high-density nuclear fuel in commercial light water reactors [1], [2]. Its higher uranium density, 11.3 g-U/cm3, compared to that of uranium dioxide (UO 2 ), 9.7 g-U/cm3, can improve the performance of a nuclear reactor while using low enriched uranium (LEU) and diversify the choice of cladding materials [1]–[3]. It also has a higher thermal conductivity than UO 2 , which can reduce the thermal stress on the material caused by a temperature gradient across the fuel pellet and provide a larger margin for some postulated accidents [1], [2], [4]. Furthermore, compared to U3Si, another high-density fuel candidate, it has better resistance to in-pile swelling due to less irradiation-induced rapid amorphization [1], [3]. Corresponding to its importance in nuclear engineering, many previous studies have reported the properties of U3Si2. Experiments showed that U 3 Si 2 is a paramagnetic (PM) metal, where a slight linear increase in magnetic susceptibility was measured with increasing temperature [5], [6]. In addition, thermodynamic quantities such as thermal expansion coefficient, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity were experimentally determined over a wide temperature range [1], [7], [8]. In several computational studies, ab initio atomistic simulations based on density functional theory (DFT) were performed to calculate various properties including elastic constants, electronic density of states (DOS), and phonon dispersion curves [9]–[12]. Nevertheless, thermal neutron scattering cross sections, which are critical to the prediction of the parameters in reactor physics that are ultimately related to reactor criticality, have not yet been evaluated for U3Si2. The scattering cross section can be calculated from the phonon DOS, or the energy spectrum of lattice vibrations, of the crystalline system [13], [14]. However, there is also no experimental data available for the phonon DOS of U 3 Si 2 . While some computational studies reported the phonon DOS and/or dispersion curves from ab initio simulations [9]–[12], the accuracy cannot be guaranteed because it is unclear whether the spin-polarization behavior of PM U 3 Si 2 was properly described. In the present study, the thermal neutron scattering cross section for U 3 Si 2 is evaluated for the first time by calculating the phonon DOS for U3Si2 from ab initio lattice dynamics (AILD) simulations based on DFT. First, U 3 Si 2 is modeled based on the experimental structure, and AILD simulations are performed on the modeled U3Si2 to optimize the structure. Next, AILD simulations are performed for supercells with atomic displacement to calculate Hellmann-Feynman forces. Based on the calculated forces, partial phonon DOSs for U and Si are obtained, and the thermal neutron scattering law (TSL) for U 3 Si 2 is finally evaluated. To verify the accuracy of the calculations in the present study, the calculation results are compared with experimental data on the structure and heat capacity of U3Si2 [1], [7], [8], [15].
Geometry Optimization↗
IER-580 CED-3b: Experiment Execution Summary for the Pulsed-Neutron Die-Away Experiments (PNDA) with H 2 O
This report summarizes new experiments performed with H 2 O for IER-580, a testbed for pulsed-neutron die-away (PNDA) experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The experiments will become high-quality benchmarksthat serve to optimize and validate thermal neutron scattering laws (TSLs) of H 2 O, which are high-priority nuclear data for the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP). The report presents the details of the measurements conducted in October of 2023, including the experimental set-up (PNDA equipment and H 2 O targets) and all experimentally measured data. The report gives the fitted decay constants for the die-away curves of each target sample. It also provides the tabulated data for the die-away curves in the appendices.
42 ENGINEERING↗
LLNL Report: Presented (on-line) to the Nuclear Data Advisory Group on December 3, 2020 [Slides]
Abstract not provided.
07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
TNSL support in GNDS 2.0 and beyond [Slides]
This presentation begins by discussing the TNSL format options that went through a major overhaul in GNDS-2.0 and it examines the changes in 2.0. Additionally, it discusses three issues with further changes that should be considered. The first issue is that the project needs some guidance on what to expect when evaluations are performed with coherent inelastic. The second issue is that GNDS-2.0 does not provide a way to clearly specify in the evaluation how to switch to ‘standard’ incident neutron evaluations for energies or temperatures outside the TNSL domain. The third issue is that when GNDS-2.0 was designed, it was assumed that S(α,β) would always be given on a uniform interpolation grid. The presentation concludes by discussing how New JENDL-5 TNSL evaluations have some complications.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
GNDS v2.0 release and future developments [Slides]
This presentation begins by discussing the major changes in v2.0 of GNDS and that the GNDS-2.0 formatted libraries are now available. It also examines how code support for GNDS is growing with processing codes, APIs and transport codes, and evaluation/testing codes. The presentation states that while migrating to GNDS can be a major effort it worthwhile, especially for anyone who is just getting started as nuclear data creator or user. Additionally, this presentation outlines the established milestones that the EG-GNDS (the group in charge of GNDS specs) has for the next GNDS release and elaborates on the first goal, which is to migrate GNDS specifications to the new JSON schema language.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
Embedding Neural Thermal Scattering (NeTS) Modules in SERPENT for Higher Fidelity Advanced Reactor Analysis
When a neutron born in fission thermalizes to the order of $k$ $B$ $T$, it’s de-Broglie wavelength and energy approach the order of inter-atomic spacing and elementary lattice oscillations, respectively. $S$($a,β,t$) or the scattering law, uuantify these temperature-dependent crystallographic contributions to total cross section (or reaction rate). In a Monte Carlo analysis, cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) of $S$($a,β,t$) are loaded to memory from “A Compact ENDF” (ACE) files for stochastically selecting thermal scattered neutron trajectories. In this work, novel neural thermal scattering (NeTS) modules for $S$($a,β,t$) CDFs are designed, trained, serialized and embedded within SERPENT using Python’s limited C-API for on-the-fly deployment of crystalline graphite $S$($a,β,t$) sampling. Torchscript tracing and Numba just-in-time (JIT) compilation streamline neural inference on NVIDIA GPUs with CUDA libraries. Demonstrations of bare sphere thermalization of fast and thermal sources show excellent agreement between embedded NeTS in SERPENT and MCNP. With an explicit model of the reactor, NeTS can predict on-the-fly changes in TREAT neutron spectra as a function of local temperature, which can serve to improve transient and accident predictions in a multiphysics analysis framework. This framework can be further extended to account on-the-fly for changes in local graphitic microstructure to scattering cross sections, and outlines a novel coupling of modern machine learning with state-of-the-art reactor physics methods.
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
In-plane thermal conductivity and the applicability of the Wiedemann–Franz law in dilute AlCu thin films
The Wiedemann–Franz (WF) law correlates heat and charge transport in metals. However, the validity of this correlation remains an open-ended question, especially in the context of inelastic scattering at room temperature. To address this gap in knowledge, we perform independent measurements of the in-plane thermal and electrical conductivities across four AlCu (0.5% Cu) films [thickness (h) ≈ 174, 98, 53, and 24 nm] using optical pump–probe metrologies and four-point probe techniques, respectively. For in-plane thermal conductivity measurements, we utilize time-domain thermoreflectance, in both concentric and beam-offset configurations, and the time-resolved magneto-optic Kerr effect. Our results show that the WF law overpredicts the thermal conductivity by at least ∼10% in all films, thus demonstrating modest deviations in predicted thermal conductivity when applying the WF law to dilute AlCu films. Using infrared variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry, we demonstrate increased electron scattering rates in the thinnest film (h ≈ 24 nm), indicating electron-boundary scattering drives the reduction in in-plane thermal conductivity. Furthermore, this is generally an elastic scattering process, which is supported by our thermal conductivity measurements and analysis.
Electrical conductivity↗
The Seyfert-Starburst Connection in X-rays: The Data - 1
We analyze X-ray spectra and images of a sample of Seyfert 2 galaxies that unambiguously contain starbursts, based on their optical and UV characteristics. Although all sample members contain active galactic nuclei (AGNs), supermassive black holes or other related processes at the galactic centers alone cannot account for the total X-ray emission in all instances. Eleven of the 12 observed galaxies are significantly resolved with the ROSAT High Resolution Imager, while six of the eight sources observed with the lower resolution Position Sensitive Proportional Counter also appear extended on larger scales. The X-ray emission is extended on physical scales of 10 kpc and greater, which we attribute to starburst-driven outflows and supernova heating of the interstellar medium. Spectrally, a physically motivated composite model of the X-ray emission that includes a heavily absorbed (N(sub H) greater than 10(exp 23)/sq cm) nuclear component (the AGN), power-law-like scattered AGN flux, and a thermal starburst describes this sample well. Half the sample exhibit iron K(alpha) lines, which are typical of AGNs.
Levenson, N. A.↗
Power-law X-ray and gamma-ray emission from relativistic thermal plasmas
A common characteristic of cosmic sources is power-law X-ray emission. Extragalactic sources of this type include compact components of active galactic nuclei (AGN). The present study is concerned with a theoretical model of such sources, taking into account the assumption that the power-law spectra are produced by repeated Compton scatterings of soft photons by relativistic thermal electrons. This is one of several possible physical mechanisms leading to the formation of a power-law spectrum. Attention is given to the Comptonization of soft photon sources, the rates of pair processes, the solution of the pair equilibrium equation, and the constraints on a soft photon source and an energy source. It is concluded that the compactness parameters L/R of most of the cosmic sources observed to date lie below the maximum luminosity curves considered.
Zdziarski, A. A.↗