1. NAME AND TITLE

PURSE: A Plutonium Radiation Source Code System.

2. CONTRIBUTOR

Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation, Tokai-mura Ibaraki-ken, Japan.

3. CODING LANGUAGE AND COMPUTER

Fortran IV; CDC-6600.

4. NATURE OF PROBLEM SOLVED

PURSE calculates alpha-, beta-, and gamma-rays and neutron intensity from fresh plutonium mixed-oxide fuels which contain daughter nuclides of plutonium and uranium. PURSE can also calculate gamma-ray spectra from mixed-oxide fuels.

5. METHOD OF SOLUTION

Four main decay chains of uranium, actinium, thorium and neptunium are considered. In addition, the decay chains of transplutonium elements and some types of fission product elements, which remain in plutonium in trace amounts after reprocessing, are considered.

The activity in curies and the emission energy of the alpha-, beta-, and gamma-rays from the nuclides in these decay chains are calculated as a function of time. Up to 18 gamma-ray energy groups can be taken, the total and average energy of each group can be calculated, and the gamma-ray spectrum is plotted with the use of a plotter. The neutrons from spontaneous fission and (alpha,n) reactions with oxygen are considered.

6. RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS

None noted.

7. TYPICAL RUNNING TIME

The running time for PURSE is approximately one minute.

8. COMPUTER HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

PURSE was designed to run on the CDC 6600. The plotter used is the CalComp 915-1136.

9. COMPUTER SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

A Fortran IV compiler is required.

10. REFERENCE

R. Yumoto, H. Sasajima, and S. Fukuda, "PURSE: A Plutonium Radiation Source Code," PNCT 852-78-13 (October 1978).

11. CONTENTS OF CODE PACKAGE

Included are the referenced document and one (1.2MB) DOS diskette which contains the source codes and sample problem input.

12. DATE OF ABSTRACT

January 1982.