Neutronics benchmark experiment on tungsten

In order to validate neutron cross sections for W, a benchmark experiment was carried out at the Frascati Neutron Generator (FNG), that consisted of the irradiation with 14 MeV neutrons of a tungsten block. Neutron flux and gamma heating were measured inside the block. The results were analysed with the Monte Carlo code MCNP-4C using for W, Fe and Ni the cross sections derived from EFF-2.4 and FENDL-2.0. In the neutron flux case, most of the calculations were in agreement with the experimental data within the total uncertainty using EFF-2.4, while they underestimated the fast neutron flux with increasing depth when using FENDL-2 cross sections. A strong discrepancy was found in the photon production data from the EFF-2.4 and FENDL-2 libraries, producing different values for the gamma heating in the two cases. FENDL-2 calculations showed better agreement with the measurements.