Thermal Scattering Law Data
IAEA Nuclear Data Library

November 2006

Introduction

Water is the most widely used moderator/coolant in nuclear reactors. Zirconium hydride is use in TRIGA research reactors, which are operated in many laboratories around the world. Furthermore, there are proposals to use zirconium hydride in accelerator driven sub-critical systems for waste incineration. Improved data for graphite, hydrogen bound in water, hydrogen bound in zirconium hydride, cerium hydride, titanium hydride and yttrium hydride, and deuterium bound in heavy water are also highly desirable.Water is the most widely used moderator/coolant in nuclear reactors. Zirconium hydride is use in TRIGA research reactors, which are operated in many laboratories around the world. Furthermore, there are proposals to use zirconium hydride in accelerator driven sub-critical systems for waste incineration. Improved data for graphite, hydrogen bound in water, hydrogen bound in zirconium hydride, cerium hydride, titanium hydride and yttrium hydride, and deuterium bound in heavy water are also highly desirable.

An improved set of thermal scattering law data has been prepared for various elements and compounds. These files were prepared in 2004-06 through an IAEA Contractual Service Agreement with:

Drs. M. Mattes and J. Keinert,
Institut fuer Kernenergetik,
Universitaet Stuttgart,
Pfaffenwaldring 31,
D-70550 Stuttgart,
GERMANY

The full database was assembled for general use in the public domain as an IAEA NDL in ENDF-6 format at the end of 2006. These data sets have also been fully (or partially) adopted within various international/national nuclear applications libraries for their immediate use (JEFF-3.1 and ENDF/B-VII).

Contents

Thermal scattering law data files have been assembled in ENDF-6 format for the following systems:

ortho hydrogen
ortho deuterium
para deuterium
hydogen bound in water
deuterium bound in heavy water
hydrogen bound in zirconium hydride
hydrogen bound in cerium hydride
hydrogen bound in titanium hydride
hydrogen bound in yttrium hydride
graphite

Additional information

Further information on these thermal scattering law data can be found in the following reports:

INDC(NDS)-0470, Thermal Neutron Scattering Data for the Moderator Materials H2O, D2O and ZrHx in ENDF-6 Format and as ACE Library for MCNP(X) Codes, prepared by M. Mattes and J. Keinert, April 2005.
INDC(NDS)-0475, Status of Thermal Neutron Scattering Data for Graphite, prepared by M. Mattes and J. Keinert, July 2005.