Databases Provided by the Bay Area Nuclear Data Group

Welcome to the database index for the Bay Area Nuclear Data Group! As part of the research that our group carries out, we have developed a number of specialty databases for nuclear data. Links for the homepages of each of our various databases will follow, along with contact information and documentation.

Analytical attenuation in PGAA

This is a program implemented in C++ to calculate the attenuation integrated over the sample thickness for elemental and compound samples used in Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) measurements [HUR2015]. The project is freely available on GitHub and can be built straighforwardly using cmake. It comes complete with the XMuDat database of mass-attenuation coefficients for 100 elements.

Baghdad Atlas

The Baghdad Atlas [HUR2021] is a relational database of inelastic neutron-scattering (n, nγ) data. It is available as a "SQLite" downloadable software platform from its own website where the project is also described in detail. All data sets and associated utility software needed to build and interact with the project are shipped together as part of the complete package.

BEApR: BErkeley Alpha and proton Radioactivity

The "BEApR" database is a global heavy charged-particle database arranged by algebraic isospin projection, as well as charge and mass, for proton-rich nuclides that undergo direct proton- or α-decay, in addition to β+ delayed charged-particle emission. This is an ongoing activity with a dedicated website that gets regularly updated.

FYCoM : Fission Yield Correlation/Covariance Matrices

A Monte-Carlo method for the generation of correlation and covariance matrices for independent and cumulative fission yields has been developed. The method uses a constrained Monte-Carlo resampling structure in order to vary evaluated fission yield libraries in a way that meets basic conservation principles. This results in the generation of correlation/covariance matrices with limited model bias and uncertainty; the matrices are primarily reflective of the evaluated fission yield uncertainties and correlations that arise from the evaluation process. This method has been applied to generate correlation and covariance matrices for all of the fissioning systems of the ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.3 evaluations, marking the first time such matrices have been generated for all of these systems. These covariance matrices have been published online for immediate public use. These correlation and covariance matrices can be used to improve uncertainty estimation in calculations of reactor antineutrino emission rates, decay heat problems, and nuclear forensics.

NucScholar

The NucScholar engine uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to automatically retrieve, categorize, and recommend nuclear science papers. The goal of this effort is to provide the groundwork for a shift to a fully automated workflow for nuclear science literature searches, enabling increased efficiency in the nuclear data pipeline and accelerating data throughput for a wide range of applications. A beta release of the search engine is available with the primary goal of generating training data. Nuclear data scientists are invited to contribute their expertise as registered users on the platform.

paceENSDF: Python Archive of Coincident Emissions from ENSDF

The paceENSDF [HUR2023a] project is a Python package enabling interaction, manipulation, analysis, and visualization of radioactive-decay data and and corresponding coincidence γ-γ and γ-X-ray data. The software package is shipped complete with a JSON-formatted database of coincident γ-γ and γ-X-ray data along with the radioactive-decay data from the Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF) translated into both JSON and RIPL (Reference Input Parameter Library) formats. The project is completely open source and is available on both PyPI and GitHub.

pyEGAF

The pyEGAF [HUR2023b] project is an open-source Python library designed to enable interaction, manipulation, analysis and visualization of the the thermal (n, γ) data in the Evaluated Gamma-ray Activation File (EGAF). The software package is shipped complete with JSON and RIPL translations of the original ENSDF-formatted EGAF data sets in addition to the original ENSDF format. This is an open-source project available on both PyPI and GitHub.

Reference database for photon strength functions

The first database on photon strength functions was published in 2019. This database is the culmination of a coordinated research project by the International Atomic Energy Agency and includes experimental PSF data from Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence, Oslo-type methods, proton capture, virtual photon excitations, thermal neutron capture, average resonance capture, and direct resonance capture measurements. Two global theoretical models (D1M-QRPA and SMLO) have been recommended and are also included in the database. The experimental and theoretical methods that have been included in the database are extensively described and assessed in [GOR2019]. A major database update will be published in the first half of 2024.

Scintillator Library

The Scintillator Library tabulates measured properties of many scintillating materials along with citations to published papers in which the original measurements were reported. This site includes both an Inorganic Scintillator Library developed by Derenzo et al. as well as an Organic Scintillator Library with a current focus on scintillator response to protons and heavy ions. These data are required for modeling scintillator-based detector response to neutrons and charged particles and were called for in the 2020 WANDA and 2021 WONDRAM reports.

References

[GOR2019] S. Goriely, P. Dimitriou, M. Wiedeking, T. Belgya, R. Firestone, J. Kopecky, M. Krtička, V. Plujko, R. Schwengner, S. Siem, H. Utsunomiya, S. Hilaire, S. Péru, Y. S. Cho, D. M. Filipescu, N. Iwamoto, T. Kawano, V. Varlamov, and R. Xu , "Reference database for photon strength functions," Eur. Phys. J. A, 55, 172 (07 October 2019), doi:10.1140/epja/i2019-12840-1.

[HUR2023a] A.M. Hurst, B.D. Pierson, B.C. Archambault, L.A. Bernstein, and S.M. Tannous, "A decay database of coincident γ-γ and γ-X-ray branching ratios for in-field spectroscopy applications," Eur. Phys. J. (Web of Conf.), 284, 18002 (26 May 2023), doi:10.1051/epjconf/202328418002.

[HUR2023b] A.M. Hurst, R.B. Firestone, and E.V. Chimanski, "pyEGAF: An open-source Python library for the Evaluated Gamma-ray Activation File," Nucl. Instrum. Meth. A, 1057, 168715 (23 September 2023), doi:10.1016/j.nima.2023.168715.

[HUR2021] A.M. Hurst, L.A. Bernstein, T. Kawano, A.M. Lewis, and K. Song, "The Baghdad Atlas: A relational database of inelastic neutron-scattering (n,n′γ) data," Nuc. Inst. Meth. A 995, 165095 (11 April 2021), doi:10.1016/j.nima.2021.165095.

[HUR2015] A.M. Hurst, N.C. Summers, L. Szentmiklosi, R.B. Firestone, M.S. Basunia, J.E. Escher, and B.W. Sleaford, "Determination of the effective sample thickness via radiative capture," Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B, 362, 38 (14 September 2015), doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2015.09.003.