EXFOR utility codes (ForEXy) and their application to neutron fission cross section evaluation

Area of Science:

• Nuclear physics
• Computational physics
• Data science

Background:

• The EXFOR library is a crucial repository for experimental nuclear reaction data.
• Efficient processing and management of this data are essential for nuclear research and applications.
• Existing tools may lack the flexibility or features needed for modern data analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive suite of utility codes, named ForEXy, for processing EXFOR data.
• To introduce a new JSON-based format (J4) for enhanced data representation and interoperability.
• To facilitate the management, retrieval, and analysis of nuclear reaction data.

Main Methods:

• Development of the ForEXy code package, including conversion tools X4TOJ4 and J4TOX4.
• Design of a new JSON format (J4) for structuring EXFOR data.
• Implementation of codes for EXFOR storage management, bibliography, and dictionary handling.
• Application of the codes to construct covariance matrices for 237Np fission cross sections.

Main Results:

• Successful development of the ForEXy utility codes and the J4 format.
• Creation of functional conversion codes (X4TOJ4, J4TOX4) for data transformation.
• Demonstrated application in generating covariance matrices for 237Np fast neutron fission cross sections.
• Facilitated cross-section evaluation between 100 keV and 200 MeV.

Conclusions:

• The ForEXy package provides an efficient solution for processing and managing EXFOR nuclear reaction data.
• The J4 format and associated tools enhance data accessibility and analysis capabilities.
• The application to 237Np fission cross sections highlights the utility of the developed codes for nuclear data evaluation.