An Update of the Nuclear Data Standards Activities

To allow new experimental data and improvements in evaluation procedure to be used in a timely manner in producing standards evaluations, an IAEA Data Development Project was initiated. For this project, it was decided that, in addition to the traditional activities related to standards, studies should be done on the possibility of extending the energy ranges of the standards and whether to include "reference data" that are not as well known as the standards but can be very useful in the measurements of certain types of cross sections. Activities include; an update of the experimental database for the traditional standards; improvements in smoothing procedures for capture cross sections, a review of the status of Cf-252 spontaneous fission neutron spectrum measurements; new work on the U-235 thermal neutron induced fission neutron spectrum that is not a standard but is important for reactor applications; improved calculations for fission neutron spectra; consideration of the Au-197 capture reaction as a reference cross section for capture cross-section measurements at energies of importance to astrophysics; and a study of reference cross sections for prompt gamma-ray production in fast neutron-induced reactions. A review of the progress made by this project will be given.