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arXiv · 2603.17719

ALPHANSO: Open-Source Modeling of ($α$,n) Neutron Source Terms

Divit Rawal·Anthony J. Nelson·William Zywiec·Daniel Siefman
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Abstract

Applications ranging from nuclear safeguards to dark matter detection require accurate predictions of neutron yields and energy spectra produced by ($α$,n) reactions. Legacy tools like SOURCES-4C remain widely used despite significant limitations, including outdated nuclear data, missing target nuclides, and restricted accessibility. Here, we present ALPHANSO, an open-source Python package for calculating ($α$,n) neutron source terms. ALPHANSO incorporates modern nuclear data libraries and formats covering all naturally occurring target nuclides and provides a transparent, modular framework for updating or extending the data as new evaluations are released. Comparison with an updated version of SOURCES-4A, NeuCBOT, and experimental measurements across a range of elements and materials shows that ALPHANSO reproduces neutron yields and spectra in good agreement with experimental data and state-of-the-art ($α$,n) calculations. These results demonstrate that ALPHANSO is a reliable, accessible, and modern alternative to legacy ($α$,n) source term codes such as SOURCES-4C. Its open-source design and modular data handling make it readily extensible to future evaluated nuclear data and low-background applications.

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Divit Rawal, Anthony J. Nelson, William Zywiec, Daniel Siefman. 2026-05-21. ALPHANSO: Open-Source Modeling of ($α$,n) Neutron Source Terms. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2026.171713

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