IMPACT OF THE ENDF/B-VIII.0 LIBRARY ON MCNP6.2-COMPUTED AMBIENT AND PERSONAL DOSE EQUIVALENT CONVERSION COEFFICIENTS

Abstract

Abstract The 2018 release of the Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF)/B-VIII.0 library initiated several examinations of the impact of the revised nuclear data on Monte Carlo models. This study used version 6.2 of the Monte Carlo N-Particle® code (MCNP6.2) with the ENDF/B-VI and ENDF/B-VIII.0 libraries to compute conversion coefficients for fluence-to-ambient and fluence-to-personal dose equivalent from neutron energy groups described by an International Atomic Energy Agency 53-bin structure and 47 monoenergetic neutron sources listed in International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 74. The MCNP6.2 models with ENDF/B-VI data were validated against results published in 2005 by Veinot and Hertel. Conversion coefficients computed with MCNP6.2 and ENDF/B-VIII.0 slightly underestimated the ICRP 74 values but were within ICRP-specified tolerances and do not justify revising the ICRP coefficients. Conversion coefficients for personal dose equivalent were computed with MCNP6.2 and ENDF/B-VIII.0 at four angles of incidence greater than those available in ICRP 74. These new coefficients are relevant to radiation protection studies of interest to US defence-focused organisations.