New precision measurements of the 235U(n,γ) cross section.

The neutron capture cross section of (235)U was measured for the neutron incident energy region between 4 eV and 1 MeV at the DANCE facility at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center with an unprecedented accuracy of 2-3% at 1 keV. The new methodology combined three independent measurements. In the main experiment, a thick actinide sample was used to determine neutron capture and neutron-induced fission rates simultaneously.

ENDF nuclear data in the physical, biological, and medical sciences.

Purpose: This paper gives an overview of recent advances in the ENDF (Evaluated Nuclear Data File) database of neutron, proton, and photonuclear cross sections. ENDF nuclear data aim to provide accurate and comprehensive representations of all reaction processes that need to be simulated in radiation transport applications. The paper reviews some of the most importance capabilities embodied in the ENDF/B-VII.

Ion chamber gas-to-wall conversion factors for fast neutron dosimetry.

Modern ionising photon dosimetry is essentially entirely based upon gas-filled cavity determinations. For photons, ion chamber response is largely independent of photon energy almost perfectly transforming absorbed dose in the gas to the surrounding media. Absolute uncertainties are <1-2%.

Predicting total reaction cross sections for nucleon-nucleus scattering.

Nucleon total reaction and neutron total cross sections to 300 MeV for 12C and 208Pb, and for 65 MeV scattering spanning the mass range, are predicted using coordinate space optical potentials formed by full folding of effective nucleon-nucleon interactions with realistic nuclear ground state densities. Good to excellent agreement is found with existing data.

A consistent set of neutron kerma coefficients from thermal to 150 MeV for biologically important materials.

Neutron cross sections for nonelastic and elastic reactions on a range of elements have been evaluated for incident energies up to 150 MeV. These cross sections agree well with experimental cross section data for charged-particle production as well as neutron and photon production. Therefore they can be used to determine kerma coefficients for calculations of energy deposition by neutrons in matter.

Nuclear data for radiotherapy: presentation of a new ICRU report and IAEA initiatives.

An ICRU report entitled "Nuclear Data for Neutron and Proton Radiotherapy and for Radiation Protection" is in preparation. The present paper presents an overview of this report, along with examples of some of the results obtained for evaluated nuclear cross sections and kerma coefficients. These cross sections are evaluated using a combination of measured data and the GNASH nuclear model code for elements of importance for biological, dosimetric, beam modification and shielding purposes.

Neutron, proton, and photonuclear cross-sections for radiation therapy and radiation protection.

I review recent work at Los Alamos undertaken to evaluate neutron, proton, and photonuclear cross-sections up to 150 MeV (to 250 MeV for protons), based on experimental data and nuclear model calculations. These data are represented in the ENDF format and can be used in computer codes to simulate radiation transport. They permit calculations of absorbed dose in the body from therapy beams, and through use of kerma coefficients allow absorbed dose to be estimated for a given neutron energy distribution.