Benchmarking of Evaluated Neutron Data for Nickel by 14-MeV Spherical Shell Transmission Experiments

The results of a transmission experiment on a spherical nickel shell with a 7.5-cm-thick wall and a 14-MeV neutron point source at the center are reported. The neutron leakage spectrum from 14 MeV down to 100 keV was measured by the time-of-flight (TOF) method. Descriptions of the experimental arrangement, TOF spectrometer, measurements, and data-reduction procedures are given. The measured data are compared with results obtained in other laboratories. Three-dimensional Monte Carlo calculations with the MCNP code using the FENDL-1, EFF-2.4, and JENDL-FF nuclear data libraries were made. The FENDL-1 library predicted the neutron leakage from nickel more accurately than the other libraries.