Evaluation and Validation of New Cross Section and Covariance Data for AFC Applications

International collaboration between KAERI and ORNL has been carried out under the International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (I-NERI) project since 2008. The main goal of the collaboration is to provide improved neutron cross section data with covariance data for isotopes important for the advanced fuel cycle (AFC) and nuclear safeguards applications. After comprehensive analyses for the AFC and safeguards applications, 237Np, 240Pu, and Cm-isotopes were selected as priority nuclides, which have been needed for improvements due to oldness of evaluations available in ENDF/B-VII.0, JEFF-3.1.1, and JENDL- 3.3. Up to now preliminary evaluations of cross section with covariance data have been produced for 237Np, 240Pu, and Cm-isotopes under the collaboration. In particular, the evaluation for 240Pu has been completed just at the moment. In this paper, the cross section and covariance data evaluations for the actinide nuclides are briefly described. In addition, the criticality benchmark calculation results of the new 240Pu cross section and covariance data are compared with those based on recent evaluations such as ENDF/B-VII.0, JEFF-3.1.1, and JENDL-4.0