Nuclear data production, calculation and measurement: a global overview of the gamma heating issue

The gamma heating evaluation in different materials found in current and future generations of nuclear reactor (EPR, GEN-IV, MTR-JHR), is becoming an important issue especially for the design of many devices (control rod, heavy reflector, in-core and out-core experiments...). This paper deals with the works started in 2009 in the Reactor Studies Department of CEA Cadarache in order to answer to several issues which have been identified for nuclear data production and calculation and for experimental measurement methods. The selected subjects are: -) The development of a Monte Carlo code (FIFRELIN) to simulate the prompt fission gamma emission which represents the major part of the gamma heating production inside the core; -) The production and qualification of new evaluations of nuclear data especially for radiative capture and inelastic neutron scattering which are the main sources of gamma heating out-core; -) The development and qualification of a recommended method for the total gamma heating calculation using the Monte Carlo simulation code TRIPOLI-4; and -) The development, test and qualification of new devices dedicated to the in-core gamma heating measurement as well in MTR-JHR as in zero power facilities (EOLE-MINERVE) of CEA, Cadarache in order to increase the experimental measurement accuracy. (authors)