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What are the difference between the various databases used in Nucleonica?
We are often asked this question with particular reference to JEFF3.1, 8th Table of Isotopes etc. In the following we try to clarify this with some examples:

The main nuclear data database is the Nucleonica database. This is based mainly on the JEFF3.1 evaluated nuclear datafile but with some corrections and improvements. The Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion File (JEFF) project is a collaboration between NEA Data Bank member countries to produce a common set of evaluated nuclear data, mainly for fission and fusion applications. This database provides the full set of radioactive data required for many of the applications in Nucleonica such as Dosimetry and Shielding (for example, the nuclide Pu239 has over 200 gamma energies and emission probabilities).

In the Nuclide Datasheets in Nucleonica, users also have access to the 8th Table of Isotopes (1996). Access to this database is for comparison purposes only (e.g. to compare gamma energies etc. from the JEFF3.1 and the 8th TOI). The 8th TOI is edited by Richard B. Firestone and Virginia S. Shirley from the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.

In particular cases additional data sources are used. For the cross sections in the Nuclide Datasheets, for example, data from the JEF Report 14 “Table of Simple Integral Neutron Cross Section Data from JEF-2-2″ have been used. There the user can chose between a variety of datafiles JEF-2-2 (European), ENDF/B-VI (US), JENDL-3.2 (Japan), BROND-2 (Russia), and CENDL-2 (China). The data include the averaged cross sections (2200 m/s, Maxwell average, resonance integral, 14 MeV, and fission spectrum average) for a range of important nuclear reactions including (n,gamma; n,fission; n,2n; n,3n; elastic; inelastic and total) and from a variety of databases. Results for Cl-35 are shown below. Point-wise (shown on the right), average (multi-group), and (x,xn) cross sections as a function of energy are shown in graphical form (where available).

There is also the Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart database. This is used for updating the various paper based nuclide charts with the most recent nuclear data. It is currently only available to the Nucleonica Team for data management in the nuclide chart.

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The Nucleonica team will make a presentation at the forthcoming meeting “New developments in radiation protection and their application in practice” to be held in Munich on the 11-12th June 2012.
This conference is held annually and has firmly established itself with an attendance of about 140 participants The program is aimed at scientists, engineers and technicians who are responsible in the field of radiation protection activities, and to authorities, experts and applicants in the nuclear licensing and supervisory procedures. The venue is the headquarters of the TÜV SÜD in Munich. Following the event, a conference folder with an accompanying CD that contains all the lectures will be published. The Nucleonica presentation is entitled “The program package NUCLEONICA: Generation of spectra for radionuclides mixtures”

Early in 2012, a new 8th Edition of the Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart will be released containing information on many new nuclides and isotopes and updated nuclear data.

In addition to the brochure with fold-out Chart and Wall-Chart, we are planning a new Auditorium Chart. The first product now available is the Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart as a Nuclide Carpet with dimensions 100 cm x 650 cm. This special Floor Chart is a tremendous eye catcher and has been developed specifically for exhibitions, reception and communal areas in your organization, libraries, etc. If your organization is interested in obtaining such a Floor Chart, please contact us.
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Nucleonica Newsletter

Dear Nucleonica Users,
Please find attached the first Nucleonica Newsletter in which we would like to inform you on the progress made in 2011 and what we’re planning for 2012. In particular, the latest developments in the Nucleonica web portal are described with emphasis on new and improved applications and features.

Early in 2012, a new 8th Edition of the Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart will be released containing information on many new nuclides and isotopes and updated nuclear data. In addition to the brochure with fold-out Chart and Wall-Chart, we are planning a new Auditorium Chart. The first product now available is the Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart as a Nuclide Carpet with dimensions 100 cm x 650 cm. This special Floor Chart is a tremendous eye catcher and has been developed specifically for exhibitions, reception and communal areas in your organization, libraries, etc.
A brief review of the Nucleonica training courses, which took place in Karlsruhe and Monaco in 2011, is also given. Participation in these training courses is the most effective way of learning to use Nucleonica.
I hope you will find our newsletter helpful and informative and wish you a very happy and successful New Year from the Nucleonica Team,
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Information on conversion coefficients is now available directly in the nuclide Datasheets. The table for the gamma rays now contains the alpha total (total conversion coefficient) in addition to the values for the k and l shells. The energies and emission probabilities of the electrons are listed in the discrete electrons table. The example shows Tc 97m. As can be seen the transition at 96.6 keV is highly converted with a total conversion factor of 315. Also shown are the individual conversion factors for the K and L shells.

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IUPAC has recommended the names Flerovium (Fl) for element 114 and Livermorium (Lv) for element 116. The new names were submitted to IUPAC in October 2011. Over the next five months there is a public comment period. Thereafter, the names will become official.
Reference

The “engine” used in the Nucleonica wiki is based on the MediaWiki from Wikipedia. To date the MediaWiki version 1.7.1 has been used. Due to a number of problems encountered especially with the use of different browsers, we have decided to update to the most recent version of the MediaWiki 1.17.0.
The Nucleonica wiki now runs with this latest version. The earlier problems encountered with different browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc. ) have now been resolved.
The end user will see much improved performance in the use of the Search box. Not only are all areas of the wiki searched by default (previously this was not the case), but the Search results are structured in a more coherent way. Enjoy using this powerful search tool!

Nucleonica Wiki

The proceedings of the NuTRonS-2 training course on Environmental Radioactivity are now online. This joint EC / IAEA course took place on the 14-16 November in Monaco at the IAEA environmental Laboratories. Guest speaker was Dr. G. P. Lasche from Sandia Labs. IAEA speakers were M. Eriksson, J.-F. Comanducci, I. Levy, and P. P. Povinec. ITU speakers were Z. Soti and J. Zsigrai. From the Nucleonica team speakers included J. Magill and R. Dreher.
In total, 15 participants from Switzerland, Turkey, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Mongolia, Netherlands took part in the course. The course organisers acknowledge the financial assistance from the JRC’s Enlargement and Integration Action (E&IA) which provided funding for participants from Candidate Countries, Potential Candidate Countries, and ENP Countries.

A highlight of the course was a hands-on session with Nucleonica’s new module: The Virtual Cloud Chamber.

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We announce the release of a new Nucleonica module: the Virtual Cloud Chamber. This powerful application is an online interactive simulation tool for investigating the motion of charged particles and photons in different media. The simulation tool, which is based on the Monte Carlo technique, has been developed and integrated into the NUCLEONICA nuclear science and data portal. In this present release, the interaction of photons, electrons and positrons can be investigated in a variety of media and with many different shield materials and in the presence of a magnetic field.
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Nucleonica’s Virtual Cloud Chamber… In example shown, electron-positron pairs are created through the interaction of 10 MeV gamma photons incident on lead. By “switching off” the electron and positron energy loss mechanisms, the charged particles are seen to spiral in the applied magnetic field. Information on the energies of the electrons and positrons can be obtained from the diameter of the trajectory in the magnetic field.

Our colleagues Dr. George Lasche (Sandioa Labs.) and Dr. Zolt Soti presented two posters at the 2011 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference in Valencia, Spain:
Nucleonica: Web-based Software Tools for Simulation and Analysis,
by J. Magill, R. Dreher, Z. Soti, G. Lasche
New 8th Edition of the Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart
by Z. Soti, G. Pfennig, R. Dreher, J. Magill
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