Nuclear data evaluation of 55Mn by the EMPIRE code with emphasis on the capture cross-section

Manganese is one of the constituents of alloys for structural components of fission and fusion devices and a well-known neutron dosimeter; however, existing ENDF-B/VII.0 55Mn evaluation was produced by Shibata (1989). This work is an attempt to re-evaluate neutron-induced cross-sections of 55Mn using the latest release of the EMPIRE code. Sensitivity studies on the physical and fitting parameters are presented, with special emphasis on the capture and neutron inelastic cross-sections. A calculated nuclear data file in ENDF-6 format of the neutron interaction cross-sections is produced. It extends up to 150 MeV, which is of interest for fusion and accelerator driven system applications. This evaluation is compared with the ENDF/B-VII.0 evaluation and with a selection of experimental microscopic cross-sections. The evaluation is tested using integral data: the OKTAVIAN integral experiment on a manganese shell and an FNG experiment with manganese activation foils. Benchmark results provide needed feedback for the refinement of the physics parameters.