Nuctools is a python package which was initially intended to assist with reduction of data taken at the RPI linear accelerator, and was significantly influenced by technical expertise and advice from Yaron Danon and other RPI research staff. It includes functions to dead-time correct ¹, group counts data, convert to cps, and convert neutron time-of-flight (TOF) to neutron energy.

Module agl_tools.py has the capability to read list-mode data produced at GELINA. This capability was developed to make data-reduction of GELINA data easier and relied on verification with the original Analysis of Geel List-mode (AGL) code.

The module trans_tools.py was originally designed to reduce data generated by the Comtec MCS6A Multi-stop TDC TOF clock, but will be generalized to accept other formats of raw TOF data. trans_tools.py is designed to reduce all the data necessary to calculate transmission and propagate the associated covariance.

Module sam_tools.py has been made to assist in reading and writing files that are used in the i/o for the code SAMMY. The package nuctools also contains functions to assist in plotting with different styles commonly used at RPI.

Module endf_tools.py provides functions to read and write ENDF/B-VI format pointwise cross section data.

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To Install

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nuctools can now be installed with pip! Simply type:

python -m pip install nuctools

If you'd rather install from the source found in GitHub, open a terminal and type:

cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/brownjm1968/nuctools.git
cd nuctools
python -m pip install .

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To Document

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Make sure you have numpydoc and sphinx installed, with pip installer:

python -m pip install numpydoc
python -m pip install sphinx

At the sphinx website http://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/quickstart.html, there is a brief walkthrough for first time sphinx users. This is a good place find info on sphinx, however you shouldn't have to create the documentation, it should be good to go when the nuctools is downloaded. The sphinx-quickstart will write a "conf.py" for you, but you should have the properly designed conf.py already. To use the theme I've used for the docs, you need to run python -m pip install sphinx-rtd-theme.

In the terminal navigate to the top nuctools folder and type:

sphinx-apidoc --force -o docs/ nuctools/

where "docs/" is the output directory and "nuctools/" is where the documented modules live. Then navigate inside the terminal to the "docs/" folder where you just generated .rst files and type:

make html

Note:

• To build the equations properly you must have LaTeX installed
• Some packages are required for html, and can be installed with pip (e.g. python -m pip install sphinx)

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To Test

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Make sure you have pytest, with pip:

python -m pip install pytest

Then inside the top nuctools folder type:

pytest

Pytest should automatically go into the "tests/" folder and find python files that start with "test".

Footnotes

1. Danon, Yaron. "Design and Construction of the RPI Enhanced Thermal Neutron Target and Thermal Cross Section Measurements of Rare Earth Isotopes.", Doctoral Thesis, RPI, (1993). ↩