The Benchmark Evaluation Process: From Experimental Data to Benchmark Model

The International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) provides a handbook of descriptions, evaluations, and models of experiments with fissionable material. The "International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments" (ICSBEP Handbook) is useful for criticality safety analysts and nuclear-data evaluators for validation of neutron transport codes and nuclear cross-section sets. Each of the four main parts of the ICSBEP document provides valuable information. The four parts are as follows: Part 1, detailed description of the experiment; Part 2, evaluation of experimental data to obtain parameter values that define the model and their uncertainties; Part 3, derivation and concise description of the benchmark model; and Part 4, sample calculation results. The ICSBEP Handbook provides a practical, standardized format for documenting nuclear experiments.

Valuable, previously unknown data are often discovered during the evaluation process. Besides these discoveries, many other things have been learned during this first decade of evaluating and providing benchmark models of experiments. The current method is described in order to improve understanding of what is required to evaluate benchmark experiments for validation purposes.