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Fokker-Planck approximation of monoenergetic transport processes

Journal Article · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society
OSTI ID:89119

For transport problems with highly forward-peaked scattering, the transport equation is often approximated by the Fokker-Planck equation or, if large-angle scattering is deemed sufficiently important, by the Boltzmann-Fokker-Planck equation. In this paper, we state a simple, necessary, and sufficient condition for the validity of the simpler Fokker-Planck approximation for monoenergetic particle transport. We also show that for screened Rutherford scattering, the Fokker-Planck approximation is only marginally valid and is inaccurate unless the scattering is extremely forward peaked. (The same is true for more sophisticated models of elastic scattering of charged particles. In this paper, we restrict ourselves to screened Rutherford scattering for simplicity). More details on the results presented here will be given in forthcoming publications.

OSTI ID:
89119
Report Number(s):
CONF-941102--
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 71; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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