Resonance parameter and covariance evaluation for $^{16}$O up to 6 MeV

Luiz Leal (1) , Evgeny Ivanov (1) , Gilles Noguere (2) , Arjan Plompen (3) , Stefan Kopecky (3)

1 IRSN - Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire
2 CEA-DES (ex-DEN) - CEA-Direction des Energies (ex-Direction de l'Energie Nucléaire)
3 JRC - European Commission - Joint Research Centre [Geel]

A resolved resonance evaluation was performed for $^{16}$O in the energy range 0 eV to 6 MeV using the computer code SAMMY resulting in a set of resonance parameters (RPs) that describes well the experimental data used in the evaluation. A RP covariance matrix (RPC) was also generated. The RP were converted to the evaluated nuclear data file format using the R-Matrix Limited format and the compact format was used to represent the RPC. In contrast to the customary use of RP, which are frequently intended for the generation of total, capture, and scattering cross sections only, the present RP evaluation permits the computation of angle dependent cross sections. Furthermore, the RPs are capable of representing the ($n, \alpha$) cross section from the energy threshold (2.354 MeV) of the ($n, \alpha$) reaction to 6 MeV. The intent of this paper is to describe the procedures used in the evaluation of the RP and RPC, the use of the RPC in benchmark calculations and to assess the impact of the $^{16}$O nuclear data uncertainties in the calculate $dk_{eff}$ for critical benchmark experiments.

Domains: Physics [physics]

Luiz Leal, Evgeny Ivanov, Gilles Noguere, Arjan Plompen, Stefan Kopecky. Resonance parameter and covariance evaluation for $^{16}$O up to 6 MeV. EPJ N - Nuclear Sciences & Technologies, 2016, 2, pp.43. ⟨10.1051/epjn/2016036⟩. ⟨cea-02305822⟩