Review on Neutronics Analysis for ITER

Twenty-nine specialists in neutronics analysis from US, China, Japan, India and Europe, gathered at the Château de Cadarache for a meeting on 26-27 March. The main interest was the comparison of different software systems that take a description of the ITER design from the ITER CAD system and convert it into a form that can be used in computer codes for nuclear analysis, in particular the "Monte Carlo" code MCNP. Such systems are in development in Germany, Japan, China and the US.

Following a previous meeting held in Madison, Wisconsin in July 2006, participants had used their systems for analysis of a common 3-D model of a sector of ITER. Comparing the results was the main topic of the Cadarache meeting. Apart from a few issues still to be resolved, the systems appear mature enough to be put into regular use. The way forward to establish a new reference model for nuclear analysis of the current ITER design was discussed. Other topics included nuclear data developments, comparisons of calculation results with new experimental measurements, and quality assurance.