New work on updating and extending the nuclear data standards

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Data Development Project was initiated to provide a mechanism for allowing new experimental data and improvements in evaluation procedures to be incorporated into new evaluations of the standards. The work on this project is ongoing. In the past very long periods sometimes occurred between evaluations of the standards. Through the use of this Project, such long periods should not occur. Work on the cross section standards through this Project has included an update of the experimental data to be used in the cross section standards evaluations, a study of the uncertainties obtained in the international standards evaluation, and improvements in the smoothing procedure for capture cross sections. It was decided that this Project should have a broader range of activities than just the cross section standards and thus encompass standards related activities. The following are being investigated: improvements in the gold cross section at energies below where it is considered a standard and work on certain cross sections that are not as well known as the cross section standards but could be very useful as reference cross sections relative to which certain types of cross section measurements can be made. This work includes prompt gamma-ray production in fast neutron-induced reactions, and work on the ²⁵²Cf spontaneous fission neutron spectrum and the ²³⁵U thermal neutron fission spectrum. Most of the data investigated through this Project are used in dosimetry applications.