Processing of JEFF nuclear data libraries for the SCALE Code System and testing with criticality benchmark experiments.

In the last years, a new version of the Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion File (JEFF) data library, namely JEFF-3.3, has been released with relevant updates in the neutron reaction, thermal neutron scattering and covariance sub-libraries. In the frame of the EU H2020 SANDA project, severale efforts have been made to enable the use of JEFF nuclear data libraries with the extensively tested and verified SCALE Code System. With this purpose, AMPX processing code has been applied to enable such application, allowing to provide insight into the interaction between the code and the new versions of JEFF data file. This paper provides an overview about the processing of JEFF-3.3 nuclear data library with AMPX for its application within the SCALE package. The AMPX-formatted cross-section library has been widely verified and tested using a comprehensive set of criticality benchmarks from ICSBEP, by comparing both with results provided by other processing and neutron transport codes and experimental. Processing of JEFF-3.3 covariances is also addressed along with their corresponding verification using covariances processed with NJOY. This work paves the way towards a successful future interaction between JEFF libraries and SCALE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]