We describe the next generation general purpose Evaluated Nuclear Data File, ENDF/B-VII.0, of recommended nuclear data for advanced nuclear science and technology applications. The library, released by the U.S. Cross Section Evaluation Working Group (CSEWG) in December 2006, contains data primarily for reactions with incident neutrons, protons, and photons on almost 400 isotopes. The new evaluations are based on both experimental data and nuclear reaction theory predictions.The principal advances over the previous ENDF/B-VI library are the following: (1) New cross sections for U, Pu, Th, Np and Am actinide isotopes, with improved performance in integral validation criticality and neutron transmission benchmark tests; (2) More precise standard cross sections for neutron reactions on H, 6 Li, 10 B, Au and for 235,238 U fission, developed by a collaboration with the IAEA and the OECD/NEA Working Party on Evaluation Cooperation (WPEC); (3) Improved thermal neutron scattering; (4) An extensive set of neutron cross sections on fission products developed through a WPEC collaboration; (5) A large suite of photonuclear reactions; (6) Extension of many neutron-and proton-induced reactions up to an energy of 150 MeV; (7) Many new light nucleus neutron and proton reactions; (8) Post-fission beta-delayed photon decay spectra; (9) New radioactive decay data; and (10) New methods developed to provide uncertainties and covariances, together with covariance evaluations for some sample cases.The paper provides an overview of this library, consisting of 14 sublibraries in the same, ENDF-6 format, as the earlier ENDF/B-VI library. We describe each of the 14 sublibraries, focusing on neutron reactions. Extensive validation, using radiation transport codes to simulate measured critical assemblies, show major improvements: (a) The long-standing underprediction of low enriched U thermal assemblies is removed; (b) The 238 U, 208 Pb, and 9 Be reflector biases in fast systems are largely removed; (c) ENDF/B-VI.8 good agreement for simulations of highly enriched uranium assemblies is preserved; (d) The underprediction of fast criticality of 233,235 U and 239 Pu assemblies is removed; and (e) The intermediate spectrum critical assemblies are predicted more accurately.We anticipate that the new library will play an important role in nuclear technology applications, including transport simulations supporting national security, nonproliferation, advanced reactor and fuel cycle concepts, criticality safety, medicine, space applications, nuclear astrophysics, and nuclear physics facility design. The ENDF/B-VII.0 library is archived at the National Nuclear Data Center,

We study the performance of a class of interrogation systems that exploit nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) to detect specific isotopes. In these systems the presence of a particular nuclide is inferred by observing the preferential attenuation of photons that strongly excite an electromagnetic transition in that nuclide. Estimates for the false positive/negative error rates, radiological dose, and detection sensitivity associated with discovering clandestine material embedded in cargo are presented. The relation between performance of the detection system and properties of the beam of interrogating photons is also considered. Bright gamma-ray sources with fine energy and angular resolution, such as those based on Thomson upscattering of laser light, are found to be associated with uniquely low radiological dose, scan times, and error rates. For this reason a consideration of NRF-based interrogation systems may provide impetus for efforts in light source development for applications related to national security and industry.

A high peak brilliance, laser-based Compton-scattering-ray source, capable of producing quasimonoenergetic photons with energies ranging from 0.1 to 0.9 MeV has been recently developed and used to perform nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) experiments. Techniques for characterization of-ray beam parameters are presented. The key source parameters are the size (0:01 mm 2), horizontal and vertical divergence (6 Â 10 mrad 2), duration (16 ps), and spectrum and intensity (10 5 photons=shot). These parameters are summarized by the peak brilliance, 1:5 Â 10 15 photons=mm 2 =mrad 2 =s=0:1% bandwidth, measured at 478 keV. Additional measurements of the flux as a function of the timing difference between the drive laser pulse and the relativistic photoelectron bunch,-ray beam profile, and background evaluations are presented. These results are systematically compared to theoretical models and computer simulations. NRF measurements performed on 7 Li in LiH demonstrate the potential of Compton-scattering photon sources to accurately detect isotopes in situ.

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