International audienceThis paper describes the current status of GALILÉE-1 that is the new verification and processing system for evaluated data, developed at CEA. It consists of various components respectively dedicated to read/write the evaluated data whatever the format is, to diagnose inconsistencies in the evaluated data and to provide continuous-energy and multigroup data as well as probability tables for transport and depletion codes. All these components are written in C++ language and share the same objects. Cross-comparisons with other processing systems (NJOY, CALENDF or PREPRO) are systematically carried out at each step in order to fully master possible discrepancies. Some results of such comparisons are provided

Coste-Delclaux, M.

Dolci, F.

Jouanne, C.

Moreau, F.

Mounier, C.

Visonneau, T.

English

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Current status of the verification and processing system
GALILEE-1 for evaluated data
M. Coste-Delclaux, C. Jouanne, F. Moreau, C. Mounier, T. Visonneau, F.
Dolci
To cite this version:
M. Coste-Delclaux, C. Jouanne, F. Moreau, C. Mounier, T. Visonneau, et al.. Current status of
the verification and processing system GALILEE-1 for evaluated data. International Conference on
Nuclear Data for Science and Technology (ND - 2016), Sep 2016, Bruges, Belgium. ￿cea-02435097￿
*
 Corresponding author: mireille.coste-delclaux@cea.fr 
Current status of the verification and processing system 
GALILÉE-1 for Evaluated Data 
Mireille Coste-Delclaux
1,*
, Cédric Jouanne
1
, Frédéric Moreau
1
, Claude Mounier
1
, Thierry Visonneau
1
, and 
Florence Dolci 
1
 
1 DEN, DM2S, SERMA, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France 
Abstract. This paper describes the current status of GALILÉE-1 that is the new verification and 
processing system for evaluated data, developed at CEA. It consists of various components 
respectively dedicated to read/write the evaluated data whatever the format is, to diagnose 
inconsistencies in the evaluated data and to provide continuous-energy and multigroup data as well 
as probability tables for transport and depletion codes. All these components are written in C++ 
language and share the same objects. Cross-comparisons with other processing systems (NJOY, 
CALENDF or PREPRO) are systematically carried out at each step in order to fully master possible 
discrepancies. Some results of such comparisons are provided. 
1 Introduction  
GALILÉE-1 system, written in C++ language is the new 
verification and processing system for evaluated data. It 
is part of a CEA global development program dedicated 
to fine modelling of nuclear systems. At the present 
time, three main components are under development:  
 GALION (GALilée Input Output for Nuclear data): 
dedicated to read and write input and produced data.  
 GALVANE (GALilée Verification of the Accuracy of 
Nuclear Evaluations): dedicated to verify nuclear 
evaluations that are GALILÉE-1 input data.  
 GTREND (GALilée TReatment of Evaluated Nuclear 
Data):  dedicated to provide continuous-energy (CE) 
and multigroup (MG) data as well as probability tables. 
Additional components, such as interface modules 
creating consistent libraries for application codes or a 
convivial and automatic chain for creating these 
libraries, will be developed later. 
 
 
 
Fig.1 GALILÉE-1 integrated running way. 
GALILÉE-1 system originality lays in its two 
complementary running ways: an integrated one (Fig. 1)  
and an open one for providing application codes with 
processing tools (Doppler on the fly for instance).  
 
2 GALILÉE-1 system description 
GALILÉE-1 system is built around GBASE component 
that defines and implements a set of common objects, 
shared by all other GALILÉE-1 components. GBASE 
objects are completely independent from the input and 
output data formats. 
 
Fig. 2. GALILEÉ-1 processing modules. 
As shown in Fig. 2, GBASE objects are initialized 
thanks to GALION that reads the evaluation or the 
structure data. These objects are checked and eventually 
corrected by GALVANE and then processed data are 
created by GTREND. One has to note that GALVANE 
and GTREND only work on GBASE objects, which 
allows the same verification and processing stages, 
whatever the evaluation format is. The objects storing 
 processed data are also kept in GBASE and can be 
written on binary or character files by GALION.  
3 GBASE Objects  
The GBASE object hierarchy is very close to the GND 
object hierarchy. For each nucleus or element, we create 
a data base allowing us to store, in the same object, 
structure data and interaction data for a given projectile. 
“GBASE structure data” contain all the information 
needed to verify and optionally correct the evaluated 
data: masses, level scheme, spins, energy, half-life, 
decay modes, etc. “GBASE interaction data” contain, the 
list of products that can be created by the interaction, all 
the information given by an evaluation (JEFF-3.2, 
ENDF/B-VII.1, JENDL4.0,…) but organized in such a 
way that processing is easier, and also processed data 
(CE data, Probability Tables, MG data, …). Several 
GBASE structure data or several GBASE interaction 
data may exist in the same data base.  
4 GALION 
GALION can read evaluated data in ENDF-6 or GND 
(under progress) format as well as structure data in 
ENSDF or NUBASE format. It creates the GBASE 
objects corresponding to structure data or interaction 
data. Other GBASE objects are under construction. 
Writing is not yet available but in the future, GALION 
will also have the capability of correcting an evaluation 
in GND format. 
5 GALVANE 
One of the goals of GALILÉE-1 system is to test the 
consistency and the validity of nuclear data evaluations. 
We plan to perform a complete assessment of evaluated 
files before any treatment. Currently, GALVANE can 
diagnose inconsistencies in general information, 
resonance parameters, Q reaction values, thresholds, 
excited level schemes, kinematic data of emitted 
particles, thermal scattering laws. Some checks can be 
performed by comparing data with the ones contained in 
structure databases, e.g. NUBASE or ENSDF. This is the 
case for: 
 masses of nuclides, given in terms of neutron mass, 
 energies of excited states reached in the inelastic 
scattering, 
 gamma decay schemes of the excited states.  
Some additional tests are designed to check the 
coherence between the data given in an evaluation: 
 coherence between thresholds considered for various 
data of the same reaction, 
 energy balance for reaction products, 
 spin/parity of resonance parameters, 
 normalization of distributions. 
We present below a list of tests already considered in 
our code system allowing us to diagnose a list of 
inconsistent values in an evaluation. 
5.1 Target Mass and Q-value reaction 
The target mass is very important to determine the Q-
value and the threshold of a reaction. In JEFF-3.2 
library, the H2 evaluated mass, in neutron mass, is 
1.995712 instead of 1.9968 (underestimation of 1 MeV). 
This discrepancy should impact radiative capture Q-
value but it is not the case, the correct Q-value being 
given in the evaluation. Other examples of important 
discrepancies can be found in JEFF-3.2 evaluations: for 
example, more than 4.5 MeV for Xe134 and 366 keV for 
Ti46. In the case of transfer reactions, one can observe 
Q-value discrepancies higher than 1 MeV. Moreover, 
those values are not systematically given. 
5.2 Resonance state spin (J value) 
The spin of a resonance state,  J , is calculated from the 
orbital angular momentum ℓ, the neutron spin and the 
target spin 𝐼. For Bk247 which spin is 3/2, in agreement 
with Nubase, the 𝐽 value given in JEFF-3.2 for 𝑠 
resonances (ℓ = 0), is 3/2, out of the range of possible 
values, 1 or 2. This discrepancy has a significant impact 
on the calculated cross-section due to the spin statistical 
multiplicative factor. 
5.3 Energy balance for emitted particles 
Evaluations contain energetic distributions for emitted 
particles at various incident energies. From these 
distributions, we can reconstruct total and partial average 
energies and compare them to available energy for the 
reaction. Interpolation schemes for emitted energy 
distributions and for incident energies play an important 
role to determine energy release. By analyzing these 
distributions, we are able to highlight inconsistencies.  
5.4 Negative angular distribution 
Angular distribution of emitted particles can be 
represented by Legendre polynomial expansion 
coefficients. This representation is particularly efficient 
in terms of compactness. However, the truncation at a 
given order can produce negative values for angular 
probabilities.  
5.5 Comparisons between libraries 
Table 1 shows a comparison of various major data for 
three distinct libraries: JENDL-4.0, ENDF/B-VII.1, and 
JEFF-3.2. The number of target files and the number of 
target files that contain radioactive production are 
indicated below the name of each library.  
 
Table 1. Comparison of various major data  
 
 JENDL-4.0 
(406 / 3) 
ENDF/B-VII.1 
(423 / 41) 
JEFF-3.2 
(472 / 169) 
Mass comparison 4 27 24 
Resonance 
parameters 
0 3 9 
Q-reactions 5 92 53 
Anisotropy 5 39 35 
Decay data 1 14 41 
Missing gamma 
production 
139 138 104 
 
Here are some explanations on Table 1 items: 
 Mass comparison: Target masses comparison between 
evaluation file and NUBASE data.  
 Resonance parameters: Inconsistencies on the spin of 
the resonances (J value). 
 Q reaction: Inconsistencies on Q-values displayed on 
evaluation, possibly connected to a target mass default. 
  Anisotropy: Negative angular distributions related to 
Legendre polynomial truncations or wrong 
normalization of a (𝜇, 𝑝(𝜇)) distribution. 
 Decay data: Inconsistency on the identification of 
radioactive products between data in General Purpose 
evaluation file and ENSDF file or Decay Data 
evaluation file.  
 Missing gamma production: No gamma production for 
radioactive capture (MF6, MF12 and MF13). 
 
The value in each cell shows the number of affected 
files, not the total number of reactions. 
6 GTREND  
GTREND code aims at replacing NJOY99 [1] and 
CALENDF [2] codes in CEA application library 
production. It consists of three main parts, 
GTREND_CE corresponding to NJOY/RECONR, 
/BROADR, /UNRESR, /THERMR and /HEATR, 
GTREND_PT corresponding to CALENDF treatment 
and GTREND_MG corresponding to NJOY/GROUPR.  
Today, GTREND can reconstruct continuous energy 
cross-sections in the resolved resonance range, provide a 
linearization grid, broaden linearized cross-sections and 
calculate moment based probability tables. 
6.1 Reconstruction in the resolved range 
6.1.1 Formalism 
Following references [3] and [4], in scattering theory, a 
channel 𝑐 is characterized by the pair 𝛼 of two particles 
making up the channel, the orbital angular momentum of 
the pair ℓ, the channel spin 𝑠 (including associated 
parity) that is the sum of the spins of the two particles of 
the pair and the total angular momentum 𝐽 (including 
associated parity). A spin group of channels is defined as 
a set of channels with the same total angular momentum 
𝐽. The angle-integrated cross-section from entrance 
channel 𝑐 to exit channel 𝑐′, with total angular 
momemtum 𝐽 , is given, in terms of the scattering matrix 
𝑈𝑐𝑐′, by: 
σ𝑐,𝑐′ =  
𝜋
𝑘𝛼
2 𝑔𝐽𝛼|𝑒
2𝑖𝑤𝑐𝛿𝑐𝑐′ − 𝑈𝑐𝑐′|𝛿𝐽𝐽′  (1) 
where 𝑘𝛼  is the wave number, 𝑔𝐽𝛼 the spin statistical 
factor and 𝑤𝑐 the Coulomb phase shift difference (equal 
to zero for non-Coulomb channels).    
The scattering matrix 𝑈, that describes the transition 
between entrance and exit channels, can be written: 
𝑈 =  Ω[1 + 2𝑖𝑃
1
2(1 − 𝑅𝐿)−1𝑅𝑃
1
2]Ω     (2) 
 Ω is the diagonal matrix which diagonal term is given 
by  Ω𝑐,𝑐 =  𝑒
−𝑖(𝑤𝑐−𝜑𝑐),   𝜑𝑐 being the potential-
scattering phase shift, 
 𝐿 is the diagonal matrix which diagonal term is given 
by  𝐿𝑐,𝑐 =  𝑆𝑐 + 𝑖𝑃𝑐 − 𝐵𝑐, 𝑆𝑐 , 𝑃𝑐  , 𝐵𝑐  being respectively 
the shift factor, the penetrability and a boundary 
condition (real functions), 
 𝑃 is the diagonal matrix which diagonal term is equal 
to  𝑃𝑐 , 
 𝑅 is the channel matrix which terms are defined by: 
 R𝑐,𝑐′ =  ∑
𝛾𝜆,𝑐𝛾𝜆,𝑐′
𝐸𝜆−𝐸
𝜆 𝛿𝐽𝐽′     (3) 
𝛾𝜆,𝑐 standing for the channel amplitude, 𝐸𝜆 for the energy 
of the level, 𝐸 for the neutron kinetic energy and 𝐽 and 𝐽′ 
for respectively the total angular momentum (with 
associated parity) of the channel 𝑐 and 𝑐′.   
The scattering matrix 𝑈 can be written in terms of  𝑋 
matrix as: 
𝑈 =  Ω[1 + 2𝑖𝑋]Ω     (4) 
𝑋 = 𝑃
1
2(1 − 𝑅𝐿)−1𝑅𝑃
1
2    (5) 
 
In GTREND, the angle integrated cross-section for the 
interaction leading from particle pair 𝛼, for which one 
particle is a neutron, to particle pair 𝛼’,  is deduced from 
X matrix in the following way: 
σ𝛼,𝛼′ =  
4𝜋
𝑘𝛼2
∑ 𝑔𝐽𝛼 ∑ [(𝑠𝑖𝑛
2(𝜑𝑐)(1 − 2𝐼𝑚(𝑋𝑐𝑐))
𝑐𝐽
− sin(2𝜑𝑐) 𝑅𝑒(𝑋𝑐𝑐))𝛿𝛼𝛼′
+ ∑|𝑋𝑐𝑐′|
2
𝑐′
]                                    (6)     
The summation are over channels 𝑐 and 𝑐′ belonging to 
the spin group 𝐽  and such that the particle pair is 𝛼 for 𝑐 
and 𝛼′ for 𝑐′. 
The nuclear formalisms currently supported in 
GTREND are Single- and Multi-level Breit-Wigner 
formalisms, Reich-Moore formalism and R-Matrix 
limited formalism when no Coulomb channel exists. The 
classical approximations are implemented. 
Results 
In order to validate GTREND reconstruction at 0 Kelvin 
in the resolved resonance range, cross-comparisons with 
NJOY99 were carried out for all JEFF-3.2 nuclei (~ 
470). In case of discrepancies, additional comparisons 
were made with NJOY2012 and PREPRO2015 [5]. 
About 25 nuclei show relative reconstruction 
discrepancies larger than 1.E-5, between NJOY99 and 
GTREND, for MT1, MT2, MT102 and MT18 when it 
exists.  
On MT2 reconstruction, we observe relative 
discrepancies for Fe54 (≤ 1.26 E-3) and Os192 (≤ 2.01 
E-4), not yet fully understood.  
On MT102 reconstruction, discrepancies occur for 
C13, Kr86, O17, O18, Pb206, Pb208, Sr88 and Sr90. 
This problem disappears with NJOY2012 (except for 
O17 and O18) and with PREPRO2015 for O18. 
On other nuclei, discrepancies may appear on MT1 
reconstruction, either when summing the background 
cross-sections or because of threshold problems. For the 
reconstruction, GTREND uses the partial cross-sections 
and not the redundant cross-sections. Moreover, as 
NJOY does, GTREND modifies the threshold given in 
the evaluation when its value is not correct. But some 
differences remain. As an example, for O16 in JEFF-3.2, 
the MT107 background file is not consistent with the 
sum of the MT800-MT803 files, above the threshold of 
the first excited state of C13 (MT801). This problem is 
solved with NJOY2012.  
Moreover, in order to validate R-Matrix limited 
formalism implementation, new Cielo Fe56 (Dist. April 
 2014 – ORNL4/ L. Leal) was reconstructed and results 
were compared with NJOY2012 ones (Fig. 3). For all 
resonant partial cross-sections, GTREND and 
NJOY2012 are in excellent agreement. The relative 
discrepancies are always less than 10
-5
, except, for the 
inelastic cross-section, at the two first energies after the 
threshold where they reach 2.3 10
-5
.   
  
 
Fig. 3. Relative discrepancies on Fe56 reconstruction 
6.2 Linear piecewise reconstruction  
A tool building a piecewise linear approximation of the 
cross sections derived from a nuclear formalism 
(accurate but time consuming) is very convenient and 
efficient for the processing itself and for Monte Carlo 
Transport codes. In the frame of GALILÉE-1, we 
developed a generic linearization tool. Various concrete 
criteria are implemented such as Punctual, Integral or 
Mixed. When an integral criterion is used a weighting 
function W is mandatory. 
 The function F to be represented in a piecewise linear 
form has to be a “functor” with a specific signature. This 
allows us to use the same algorithm for various types of 
functions: resonance formalism, thermal scattering 
model, Legendre expansion of an angular distribution or 
tabulated function with various interpolation schemes. 
The user must give, as input data, well-chosen points in 
the reconstruction range.  
The basis of the GALILÉE-1 algorithm is very similar 
to the one implemented in NJOY: halving interval and 
checking with some kind of criteria.  The first two basic 
criteria are the maximum number of subdivisions of an 
initial interval and the minimum width of an interval 
expressed in term of a multiple of the machine epsilon. 
All the specialized criteria use these two parameters. 
A convergence diagnostic is available to check if the 
"convergence" is reached using these criteria. The 
diagnostic can be used to trigger a restart of the 
linearization process with the same or modified 
parameters of the criterion. This restart mode is useful if 
the user cannot set properly the initial points of the 
reconstruction.  
6.3 Doppler Broadening and thermal modules 
Description 
The Doppler Broadening and the thermal modules will 
be designed consistently in GTREND whatever the 
thermal motion is (free gas or chemical binding model). 
The Doppler broadening and the calculation of thermal 
scattering cross sections will be done starting from a 
nuclear cross section given by the true formalism or 
from a linearized one. At the present time, only the 
“SIGMA1” method designed in PREPRO system that 
provides an exact Doppler Broadening for a piecewise 
linear representation of a cross section, is implemented 
in GTREND. 
Results 
For validating GTREND, we performed, on U238 
JEFF3.2, a SIGMA1 Doppler broadening at 294K on the 
NJOY/BROADR energy grid and we compared the 
cross-sections to the NJOY ones. The relative 
discrepancies are given in Fig. 4. The general trend is 
satisfactory but at high energies, NJOY99 curve may 
display unphysical behaviors leading to higher 
discrepancies. Some of them are corrected in 
NJOY2012.  
 
 
 
Fig. 4. Relative discrepancies on U238 broadening 
7 Conclusion 
GALILÉE-1 system will have soon the capability of 
producing Monte Carlo transport libraries from validated 
evaluations, which is a first important step for our 
renewed library creation chain. It allows R&D activity 
on new processing methods and is also a powerful tool 
for nuclear data analysis.  
References 
1. R.E. MacFarlane et al., NJOY99.0 : Code System for 
Producing Pointwise and Multigroup Neutron and 
Photon Cross-Sections from ENDF/B Data, LANL, 
PSR-480, 7, (2000) 
2. J.C. Sublet, P. Ribon, and M. Coste-Delclaux, 
CALENDF-2010: User Manual, CEA-R-6277, (2011). 
3. ENDF-6 Formats Manual, Edited by A. Trkov, M. 
Herman and D. A. Brown, Report BNL-90365-2009 
Rev.2, (2012) 
4. N. Larson, Updated Users’ Guide for SAMMY: 
Multilevel R-Matrix Fits to Neutron Data Using 
Bayes’ Equations, ORNL/TM-9179/R8, (2008) 
5. D. E. Cullen, Pre-Processing Code System for Data in 
ENDF/B Format, ORNL, No. PREPRO2012, 
004357WKSTN00, USA (2015). 


Current status of the verification and processing system GALILEE-1 for evaluated data

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