PhD investigating Nuclear Data for the safe and efficient use and handling of next generation Nuclear Reactor fuel

在能源需求不断增长和传统能源生产逐渐远离煤炭和天然气（约占全球能源生产的63%；见图1）的世界，需要使用核能和可再生能源来生产更多的电力。这个博士的重点是需要和生产越来越准确的核数据。核数据用于开发下一代核设施模型，估计当前核电站堆芯反应输出，以及计算核废料的储存容器尺寸和屏蔽阈值。核反应速率、能谱和截面的准确建模依赖于核理论和核数据的准确性。模拟核燃料基质和核废料储存的核数据的一个重要领域是α粒子能量范围2-7.5兆电子伏的（α,n）反应。在核燃料和核废料中发现的衰变的反式钍元素，释放出能量高达~7.5兆电子伏的α粒子。粒子将通过（α,n）反应与轻核相互作用，产生高能中子。这一反应对包含在轻核中的下一代核燃料将越来越重要，因为与当前一代核燃料相比，较重的α衰变核的相对数量预计要高得多，中子率可能从自发裂变中子率的一小部分到许多倍不等。核模拟和传输代码source -4c， TALYS和GEANT4被核设施（如英国核国家实验室）用于计算（α,n）反应速率和屏蔽计算的能谱。代码使用当前核数据（复合核的截面数据和核水平）作为输入。如果不存在这些数据，也没有测量过，则使用理论计算（例如GNASH预平衡）。计算光谱的使用导致了10-35%[2]量级的不确定度。这些巨大的不确定性意味着任何下一代核反应堆和核废料储存设施将更多的屏蔽取决于不确定性的上限。该博士旨在提高已确定的重要核数据的准确性，从而降低下一代核反应堆和核废料储存设施的潜在屏蔽成本。该博士学位由英国核数据网络支持；最近在曼彻斯特大学、萨里大学和约克大学之间建立了合作关系，并与相关行业和国家实验室建立了联系。G. N.弗拉斯金，1余。S. Khomyakov和V. I. Bulanenko，《原子能》，第117卷第5期，2015年3月

In a world with growing energy requirements and a progression away from the traditional energy production using coal and Gas (~63% global energy production; see figure 1), more electricity production is needed using nuclear and renewable energy sources. The focus of this PhD is on the need of, and producing, increasingly accurate nuclear data. Nuclear data is used in developing the next generation nuclear facility models, estimating current nuclear power plant core reaction outputs, and calculating storage container size and shielding thresholds for nuclear waste. Accurate modelling of nuclear reaction rates, energy spectra and cross sections are reliant on nuclear theories and the accuracy of nuclear data. An important area of nuclear data for the modelling of nuclear fuel matrixes and nuclear waste storage is the (alpha,n) reaction in the alpha-particle energy range 2-7.5 MeV. The decay Trans-Thorium elements, found in nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, emit alpha-particles with energies up to ~7.5 MeV. The alpha-particles will interact with light nuclei via the (alpha,n) reaction to produce high energy neutrons. This reaction will be increasingly important for next generation nuclear fuels contained in light nuclei as, in comparison to current generation nuclear fuel, the relative number of heavier alpha-decaying nuclei is expected to be much higher and the neutron rate can vary from a fraction to many times the spontaneous fission neutron rate. The nuclear modelling and transport codes Sources-4c, TALYS and GEANT4 are used by nuclear facilities (e.g. UK Nuclear National Laboratory) to calculate the (alpha,n) reaction rates and energy spectra for shielding calculations. The codes use current nuclear data (cross section data and nuclear levels of the compound nucleus) as input. Where this data does not exist, and has not been measured, theoretical calculations are used instead (e.g. GNASH pre-equilibrium). The use of the calculated spectra has resulted in large uncertainties of the order 10-35% [2]. These large uncertainties mean any next generation nuclear reactors and nuclear waste storage facilities will more shielding dependent on the upper limit of the uncertainties. This PhD's intention of improving the accuracy of identified important nuclear data will reduce potential shielding costs of next generation nuclear reactors and nuclear waste storage facilities. This PhD is supported by the UK nuclear data network; a collaboration which has recently been established between the Universities of Manchester, Surrey and York, and linking to relevant industry and national laboratories.2. G. N. Vlaskin,1 Yu. S. Khomyakov, and V. I. Bulanenko, Atomic Energy, Vol. 117, No. 5, March, 2015