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High Energy Neutron Scattering Benchmark of Monte Carlo Computations

This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

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Preprint: policy unknown
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Abstract

Neutron scattering measurements are made using an array of proton recoil detectors surrounding a scattering sample, which is struck by a beam of neutrons. Detector signals are analyzed using a state of the art digital data acquisition system, and these measurements are compared with the expected detector response based on Monte Carlo simulation of the scattering experiment using existing nuclear data evaluations. In this way, high accuracy neutron scattering experimental benchmarks, combined with high accuracy Monte Carlo simulations, can be used to assess differences among nuclear data evaluations. Experiments were done with C, Be and Mo samples. There is excellent agreement for C, while Be and Mo show differences between the experiments and calculations using ENDF/B-VII.0 Various evaluations and nuclear data sets are available which specify neutron scattering cross section information for the different elements and isotopes. These evaluations are based on a combination of theory and a limited number of experiments, and they do not always agree with each other. In such cases, additional high accuracy data and simulations can be used to help assess the differences and arbitrate among them. In the current work, a new scattering detection system and data processing methods were developed and validated using a benchmark. Two materials were measured which exhibit variation in scattering cross section information between the major data sets (molybdenum and beryllium) to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system and methods. A range of angles and energies were measured and the results were compared to theoretical predictions with existing data to provide a proof of principle confirmation of the new capability at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Linear Accelerator (LINAC). 2. METHOD