Showing papers by "Luiz C Leal published in 1997"

Covariance matrices for use in criticality safety predictability studies

Abstract: Criticality predictability applications require as input the best available information on fissile and other nuclides. In recent years important work has been performed in the analysis of neutron transmission and cross-section data for fissile nuclei in the resonance region by using the computer code SAMMY. The code uses Bayes method (a form of generalized least squares) for sequential analyses of several sets of experimental data. Values for Reich-Moore resonance parameters, their covariances, and the derivatives with respect to the adjusted parameters (data sensitivities) are obtained. In general, the parameter file contains several thousand values and the dimension of the covariance matrices is correspondingly large. These matrices are not reported in the current evaluated data files due to their large dimensions and to the inadequacy of the file formats. The present work has two goals: the first is to calculate the covariances of group-averaged cross sections from the covariance files generated by SAMMY, because these can be more readily utilized in criticality predictability calculations. The second goal is to propose a more practical interface between SAMMY and the evaluated files. Examples are given for {sup 235}U in the popular 199- and 238-group structures, using the latest ORNL evaluation of the {sup 235}U resonance parameters.