Proton-induced activation cross sections in the energy range below 1 GeV

TL;DR

This paper presents a new computational framework for generating reliable proton-induced activation cross sections below 1 GeV, improving model selection and data fitting for nuclear reaction simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a multi-criteria algorithm-based framework utilizing MCNPX and CASCADE/INPE codes to enhance the accuracy of nuclear reaction modeling below 1 GeV.

Findings

Effective model selection for proton-induced reactions.

Improved fit to experimental data.

Framework applicable to various target nuclei.

Abstract

(Abridged) Modern studies and industrial applications related to the design, radiation protection, and reliability of nuclear facilities, medical applications, as well as space research and exploration are relying on extensive simulations and modeling. Computer codes realizing semi-classical and quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) approaches are often employed to make up for the lack of accelerator data on many nuclear reactions at intermediate and high energies (>10s of MeV/n) and are in high demand. This contribution focuses on the methodology of generating reliable proton-induced cross sections in the energy range below 1 GeV. We developed a problem-oriented computer framework based on MCNPX and CASCADE/INPE codes to calculate activation cross section data at intermediate and high energies. Goodness of the fits of nucleon-nucleus interaction models to the existing data is evaluated based on elaborated algorithms. The method is based on the analysis of a large set of data and calculated cross sections for different targets and residual nuclei in a wide range of proton energies using numerous criteria. In practice, this could be done by tuning the model parameters and algorithms to fit required experimental data subset, or through achieving unification and consistency of fundamental parameters for all considered reactions. The presented framework is pursuing the latter approach. We use proton-induced reactions on Si and Fe nuclei to illustrate the application of the developed multi-criteria algorithm, where we use all data below 1 GeV available from the EXFOR data library and the IAEA CRP "Benchmark of Spallation Models." We show that the analysis of the predictive power of various intermediate and high-energy models based on the multi-criteria algorithm allows more sophisticated selection of appropriate models in a given energy range and residual nuclei domain.