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Title: Visualization and Analyses of MCNP Criticality Calculation Results

Abstract

Careful assessment of the results of a calculation by the code itself can detect mistakes in the problem setup and execution. MCNP has over four hundred error messages that inform the user of FATAL or WARNING errors that have been discovered during processing of just the input file. MCNP4A performs a self-assessment of the calculated results to aid the user in determining the quality of the Monte Carlo results. MCNP4A contains new built-in sensitivity analyses of the Monte Carlo calculation that provide the user with simple WARNING messages for both criticality and fixed source calculations. The goal of the new analyses described in this paper is to provide the MCNP criticality practitioner with enough information in the output to assess the validity of the keff calculation and any associated tallies. The results of these checks are presented in the keff results summary, several keff tables and graphs, and tally tables and graphs. Plots of keff at the workstation are also available as the problem is running or in a postprocessing mode to assess problem performance and results. Plots of the fission source by cycle supply valuable visual information, although they are not yet available in the production version of MCNP.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OSTI Identifier:
102513
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-95-2058; CONF-9509100-21
ON: DE95015283; TRN: 95:020314
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: ICNC '95: 5. International Conference on Nuclear Criticality Safety, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 17-22 Sep 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1995]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; 97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING; CRITICALITY; SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS; DATA ANALYSIS; M CODES; MONTE CARLO METHOD; FISSION; Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport (MCNP); Fission Source; Physics Analysis Workstation (PAW); Jezebel Plutonium; Fissionable Cells

Citation Formats

Forster, R. A., Booth, T. E., Urbatsch, T. J., Van Riper, K. A., and Waters, L. S. Visualization and Analyses of MCNP Criticality Calculation Results. United States: N. p., 1995. Web.
Forster, R. A., Booth, T. E., Urbatsch, T. J., Van Riper, K. A., & Waters, L. S. Visualization and Analyses of MCNP Criticality Calculation Results. United States.
Forster, R. A., Booth, T. E., Urbatsch, T. J., Van Riper, K. A., and Waters, L. S. 1995. "Visualization and Analyses of MCNP Criticality Calculation Results". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/102513.
@article{osti_102513,
title = {Visualization and Analyses of MCNP Criticality Calculation Results},
author = {Forster, R. A. and Booth, T. E. and Urbatsch, T. J. and Van Riper, K. A. and Waters, L. S.},
abstractNote = {Careful assessment of the results of a calculation by the code itself can detect mistakes in the problem setup and execution. MCNP has over four hundred error messages that inform the user of FATAL or WARNING errors that have been discovered during processing of just the input file. MCNP4A performs a self-assessment of the calculated results to aid the user in determining the quality of the Monte Carlo results. MCNP4A contains new built-in sensitivity analyses of the Monte Carlo calculation that provide the user with simple WARNING messages for both criticality and fixed source calculations. The goal of the new analyses described in this paper is to provide the MCNP criticality practitioner with enough information in the output to assess the validity of the keff calculation and any associated tallies. The results of these checks are presented in the keff results summary, several keff tables and graphs, and tally tables and graphs. Plots of keff at the workstation are also available as the problem is running or in a postprocessing mode to assess problem performance and results. Plots of the fission source by cycle supply valuable visual information, although they are not yet available in the production version of MCNP.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/102513}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Sep 17 00:00:00 EDT 1995},
month = {Sun Sep 17 00:00:00 EDT 1995}
}

Conference:
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