skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: A Monte Carlo Method for Calculating Initiation Probability

Conference ·
OSTI ID:908387

A Monte Carlo method for calculating the probability of initiating a self-sustaining neutron chain reaction has been developed. In contrast to deterministic codes which solve a non-linear, adjoint form of the Boltzmann equation to calculate initiation probability, this new method solves the forward (standard) form of the equation using a modified source calculation technique. Results from this new method are compared with results obtained from several deterministic codes for a suite of historical test problems. The level of agreement between these code predictions is quite good, considering the use of different numerical techniques and nuclear data. A set of modifications to the historical test problems has also been developed which reduces the impact of neutron source ambiguities on the calculated probabilities.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
908387
Report Number(s):
UCRL-PROC-228717; TRN: US0703687
Resource Relation:
Conference: Presented at: Joint International Topical Meeting on Mathematics & Computation and Supercomputing in Nuclear Applications, Monterey, CA, United States, Apr 16 - Apr 19, 2007
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Monte Carlo Direct Simulation Method for Initiation Probability Problems
Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society · OSTI ID:908387

EDW S{sub n} differencing compared to Monte Carlo for zero-c problems
Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society · OSTI ID:908387

A fully coupled Monte Carlo/discrete-ordinates solution to the neutron-transport equation
Miscellaneous · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · OSTI ID:908387