Thermal Scattering Law Data: Implementation and Testing Using the Monte Carlo Neutron Transport Codes COG, MCNP and TART

Recently we implemented the ENDF/B-VI thermal scattering law data in our neutron transport codes COG and TART. Our objective was to convert the existing ENDF/B data into double differential form in the Livermore ENDL format. This will allow us to use the ENDF/B data in any neutron transport code, be it a Monte Carlo, or deterministic code. This was approached as a multi-step project. The first step was to develop methods to directly use the thermal scattering law data in our Monte Carlo codes. The next step was to convert the data to double-differential form. The last step was to verify that the results obtained using the data directly are essentially the same as the results obtained using the double differential data. Part of the planned verification was intended to insure that the data as finally implemented in the COG and TART codes, gave the same answer as the well known MCNP code, which includes thermal scattering law data. Limitations in the treatment of thermal scattering law data in MCNP have been uncovered that prevented us from performing this part of our verification.