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Title: Minimizing the cost of splitting in Monte Carlo radiation transport simulation

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6753224· OSTI ID:6753224

A deterministic analysis of the computational cost associated with geometric splitting/Russian roulette in Monte Carlo radiation transport calculations is presented. Appropriate integro-differential equations are developed for the first and second moments of the Monte Carlo tally as well as time per particle history, given that splitting with Russian roulette takes place at one (or several) internal surfaces of the geometry. The equations are solved using a standard S/sub n/ (discrete ordinates) solution technique, allowing for the prediction of computer cost (formulated as the product of sample variance and time per particle history, sigma/sup 2//sub s/tau p) associated with a given set of splitting parameters. Optimum splitting surface locations and splitting ratios are determined. Benefits of such an analysis are particularly noteworthy for transport problems in which splitting is apt to be extensively employed (e.g., deep penetration calculations).

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
6753224
Report Number(s):
LA-8546-T; TRN: 81-001577
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English