Algorithms for Monte-Carlo particle transport in binary statistical mixtures

Conference · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5374552

Zimmerman, G B; Adams, M L

There has been considerable interest lately in particle transport through randomly mixed materials. We focus here on two-material mixtures. Given a particular medium, we do not know the precise composition; we know only a statistical description. We assume here Markovian mixtures, which means chord lengths through each material satisfy an exponential probability distribution. We seek the ensemble-averaged'' transport solution which, given infinite resources, we could compute as follows: construct a particular realization'' of the medium by sampling from the statistical descriptions, solve the transport equation for that realization, and repeat many times and average the solutions. This exact'' procedure is far too costly for practical use; thus, we need efficient algorithms that produce reasonable approximations to the exact solution. Many researchers have sought a set of equations that approximately describe the ensemble-average solution. One such set, which we call the Levermore equations'', has received considerable attention. McCormick has avoided deriving equations, proposing instead a Monte Carlo algorithm for an approximate ensemble-average solution. Pomraning subsequently argued that this algorithm actually solves the Levermore equations. Zimmerman independently proposed a Monte Carlo algorithm that should also solve the Levermore equations, and a second algorithm that should be more accurate. In this work we study three Monte Carlo algorithms: algorithm A, algorithm B, and algorithm C. 8 refs., 1 fig.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5374552
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC-108010; CONF-911107-24; ON: DE91016563
• Resource Relation: Conference: Winter meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), San Francisco, CA (United States), 10-15 Nov 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
BINARY MIXTURES
RADIATION TRANSPORT
ALGORITHMS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
STATISTICAL MODELS
DISPERSIONS
MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MIXTURES
654001* - Radiation & Shielding Physics- Radiation Physics
Shielding Calculations & Experiments
990200 - Mathematics & Computers