Monte Carlo Principles And Neutron Transport Problems

This two-part treatment introduces the general principles of the Monte Carlo method within a unified mathematical point of view, applying them to problems in neutron transport. It describes several efficiency-enhancing approaches, including the method of superposition and simulation of the adjoint equation based on reciprocity. The first half of the book presents an exposition of the fundamentals of Monte Carlo methods, examining discrete and continuous random walk processes and standard variance reduction techniques. The second half of the text focuses directly on the methods of superposition and reciprocity, illustrating their applications to specific neutron transport problems. Topics include the computation of thermal neutron fluxes and the superposition principle in resonance escape computations.

The mathematical technique of Monte Carlo, as applied to the transport of sub-atomic particles, has been described in numerous reports and books since its formal development in the 1940s. Most of these instructional efforts have been directed either at the mathematical basis of the technique or at its practical application as embodied in the several large, formal computer codes available for performing Monte Carlo transport calculations. This book attempts to fill what appears to be a gap in this Monte Carlo literature between the mathematics and the software. Thus, while the mathematical basis for Monte Carlo transport is covered in some detail, emphasis is placed on the application of the technique to the solution of practical radiation transport problems. This is done by using the PC as the basic teaching tool. This book assumes the reader has a knowledge of integral calculus, neutron transport theory, and Fortran programming. It also assumes the reader has available a PC with a Fortran compiler. Any PC of reasonable size should be adequate to reproduce the examples or solve the exercises contained herein. The authors believe it is important for the reader to execute these examples and exercises, and by doing so to become accomplished at preparing appropriate software for solving radiation transport problems using Monte Carlo. The step from the software described in this book to the use of production Monte Carlo codes should be straightforward.

With this book we try to reach several more-or-less unattainable goals namely: To compromise in a single book all the most important achievements of Monte Carlo calculations for solving neutron and photon transport problems. To present a book which discusses the same topics in the three levels known from the literature and gives us useful information for both beginners and experienced readers. It lists both well-established old techniques and also newest findings.

This book represents the refereed proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Monte Carlo (MC)and Quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) Methods in Scientific Computing, held in Montreal (Canada) in July 2008. It covers the latest theoretical developments as well as important applications of these methods in different areas. It contains two tutorials, eight invited articles, and 32 carefully selected articles based on the 135 contributed presentations made at the conference. This conference is a major event in Monte Carlo methods and is the premiere event for quasi-Monte Carlo and its combination with Monte Carlo. This series of proceedings volumes is the primary outlet for quasi-Monte Carlo research.

The first textbook to provide a pedagogical examination of the major algorithms used in quantum Monte Carlo simulations.