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

Abstract

Applications ranging from nuclear safeguards to dark matter detection require accurate predictions of neutron yields and energy spectra produced by ($\alpha$,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 Legacy tools like SOURCES-4C remain widely used despite significant limitations, including outdated nuclear data, missing target nuclides, and restricted accessibility.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 ($\alpha$,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 ($\alpha$,n) calculations. These results demonstrate that ALPHANSO is a reliable, accessible, and modern alternative to legacy ($\alpha$,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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