Fission Rate Ratios of FCA-IX Assemblies as Integral Experiment for Assessment of TRU’s Fission Cross Sections

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 2-4 Shirakata, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki, Japan, 319-1195

^a Corresponding author: fukushima.masahiro@jaea.go.jp

Published online: 15 March 2016

Abstract

At the fast critical assembly (FCA) of JAEA, central fission rate ratios for TRU such as ²³⁷Np, ²³⁸Pu, ²³⁹Pu, ²⁴²Pu, ²⁴¹Am, ²⁴³Am, and ²⁴⁴Cm were measured in the seven uraniumfueled assemblies (FCA-IX assemblies) with systematically changed neutron spectra. The FCA-IX assemblies were constructed with simplicity both in geometry and composition. By virtue of these FCA-IX assemblies where the simple combinations of uranium fuel and diluent (graphite and stainless steel) in their core regions were systematically varied, the neutron spectra of them cover from the intermediate to fast one. Taking their advantages, benchmark models with respect to the central fission rate ratios had been recently developed for the evaluation of the TRU’s fission cross sections. As an application of these benchmark models, the Japanese Evaluated Nuclear Data Library JENDL-4.0 was utilized by a Monte Carlo calculation code. Several results show large discrepancies between the calculation and experimental values. The benchmark models would be well suited for the evaluation and modification of the nuclear data for the TRU’s fission cross sections.