Critical Experiment Data Archiving

Conference · Sun Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:5708094

Koponen, B. L. ^[1]; Clayton, E. D. ^[2]; Doherty, A. L. ^[2]

---

1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
2. Battelle Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

Critical experiment facilities produced a large number of important data during the past 45 years; however, many useful data remain unpublished. The unpublished material exists in the form of experimenters' logbooks, notes, photographs, material descriptions, etc., This data could be important for computer code validation, understanding the physics of criticality, facility design, or for setting process limits. In the past, criticality specialists have been able to obtain unpublished details by direct contact with the experimenters. Obviously, this will not be possible indefinitely. Most of the US critical experiment facilities are now closed, and the experimenters are moving to other jobs, retiring, or otherwise becoming unavailable for this informal assistance. Also, the records are in danger of being discarded or lost during facility closures, cleanup activities, or in storage. A project was begun in 1989 to ensure that important unpublished data from critical experiment facilities in the United States are archived and made available as a resource of the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Nuclear Criticality Information System (NCIS). The objective of this paper is to summarize the project accomplishments to date and bring these activities to the attention of those who might be aware of the location of source information needed for archiving and could assist in getting the materials included in the archive.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 5708094
• Report Number(s): CONF-910603-; CODEN: TANSA
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 63; Conference: Annual Meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) , Orlando, FL (United States), 2-6 Jun 1991; ISSN 0003-018X
• Publisher: American Nuclear Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION
CRITICALITY
NUCLEAR DATA COLLECTIONS
BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES
BNL
COMPUTER CODES
DATA BASE MANAGEMENT
DECAY
DESIGN
DOCUMENTATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FISSION
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
LANL
LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY
OPERATION
ORNL
PROMPT NEUTRONS
ROCKY FLATS PLANT
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
TEST FACILITIES
US DOE
VALIDATION
BARYONS
DATA
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FISSION NEUTRONS
HADRONS
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEUTRONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEONS
NUMERICAL DATA
TESTING
US AEC
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
420203* - Engineering- Handling Equipment & Procedures
990301 - Information Handling- Data Handling- (1992-)