Uncertainties and Covariances of the Fission Cross Sections and the Fission Neutron Multiplicities for Actinides

Experimental data on the fission cross sections and the fission-neutron multiplicities of actinides are analyzed on the basis of the unrecognized error-estimation method. Such an approach allows us to estimate reasonable systematic uncertainties of available data, which are underestimated by authors of most measurements as a rule. The corresponding uncertainties and covariances of evaluated data are obtained for the most important actinides in the 15-energy group representation. Differences between the present evaluations and the recent BOLNA results are discussed for the main actinides. It is shown that the fission cross section uncertainties are overestimated essentially in the BOLNA analysis for minor actinides. Uncertainties of the cross sections and the neutron multiplicities averaged over the Cf-252 fission-neutron spectrum are considered.