Skip to main content
Dryad

Data from: Forward modeling approach to nuclear reaction cross sections: Applications in neutron inelastic scattering

Gordon, Joseph1; Goldblum, Bethany12; Bleuel, Darren3; Brown, Joshua1; Laplace, Thibault1; Nagel, Tyler1; Bernstein, Lee12

Published Mar 27, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.rv15dv4p5

Data files

Mar 27, 2026 version files 43.74 KB

Click names to download individual files

Abstract

The development of nuclear reaction models for the production of evaluated nuclear data has traditionally been performed by comparing measured cross sections with predictions from reaction model codes whose physical input parameters are adjusted to obtain the best agreement between measured and modeled results. To more directly probe reaction model inputs, this work introduces a forward modeling approach to experimental reaction cross-section determination, where the most important physical input parameters to reaction model calculations are obtained via χ 2 minimization between measured and calculated observables. This was demonstrated using data collected by the Gamma Energy Neutron Energy Spectrometer for Inelastic Scattering (GENESIS) at the 88-inch cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a detection array consisting of organic liquid scintillators and high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. Using a broad-spectrum neutron beam and a 99.98%- enriched 56 Fe target, GENESIS was used to perform a simultaneous measurement of 56 Fe γ -ray production cross sections and secondary neutron energy and angle distributions. The results of the forward modeling and inverse approaches for gamma-ray production are included here. For secondary neutron energy and angle distributions, the results of the forward model are included. Also included are a set of best fit TALYS parameters and correlation matrix representing between the TALYS parameters.