International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology 2007
DOI: 10.1051/ndata:07755

Extension of the nuclear reaction model code EMPIRE to actinides' nuclear data evaluation

R. Capote¹, M. Sin², A. Trkov³, M. Herman⁴, B.V. Carlson⁵ and P. Oblozinský<sup>4

1</sup>  Nuclear Data Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, 1400 Vienna, Austria
²  University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
³  Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
⁴  National Nuclear Data Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
⁵  Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, São José dos Campos SP, Brazil

r.capotenoy@iaea.org

Published online: 21 May 2008

Abstract
Recent extensions and improvements of the EMPIRE code system are outlined. They add new capabilities to the code, such as prompt fission neutron spectra calculations using Hauser-Feshbach plus pre-equilibrium pre-fission spectra, cross section covariance matrix calculations by Monte Carlo method, fitting of optical model parameters, extended set of optical model potentials including new dispersive coupled channel potentials, parity-dependent level densities and transmission through numerically defined fission barriers. These features, along with improved and validated ENDF formatting, exclusive/inclusive spectra, and recoils make the current EMPIRE release a complete and well validated tool for evaluation of nuclear data at incident energies above the resonance region. The current EMPIRE release has been used in evaluations of neutron induced reaction files for ²³²Th and ^231,233Pa nuclei in the fast neutron region at IAEA. Triple-humped fission barriers and exclusive pre-fission neutron spectra were considered for the fission data evaluation. Total, fission, capture and neutron emission cross section, average resonance parameters and angular distributions of neutron scattering are in excellent agreement with the available experimental data.

© CEA 2008