Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

McKinney, Gregg W

Publications and source records attributed to McKinney, Gregg W.

Physics and Algorithm Enhancements for a Validated MCNP/X Monte Carlo Simulation Tool, Phase VII

Currently the US lacks an end-to-end (i.e., source-to-detector) radiation transport simulation code with predictive capability for the broad range of DHS nuclear material detection applications. For example, gaps in the physics, along with inadequate analysis algorithms, make it difficult for Monte Carlo simulations to provide a comprehensive evaluation, design, and optimization of proposed interrogation systems. With the development and implementation of several key physics and algorithm enhancements, along with needed improvements in evaluated data and benchmark measurements, the MCNP/X Monte Carlo codes will provide designers, operators, and systems analysts with a validated tool for developing state-of-the-art active and passive detection systems. This project is currently in its seventh year (Phase VII). This presentation will review thirty enhancements that have been implemented in MCNPX over the last 3 years and were included in the 2011 release of version 2.7.0. These improvements include 12 physics enhancements, 4 source enhancements, 8 tally enhancements, and 6 other enhancements. Examples and results will be provided for each of these features. The presentation will also discuss the eight enhancements that will be migrated into MCNP6 over the upcoming year.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

MCNP6 Cosmic-Source Option

MCNP is a Monte Carlo radiation transport code that has been under development for over half a century. Over the last decade, the development team of a high-energy offshoot of MCNP, called MCNPX, has implemented several physics and algorithm improvements important for modeling galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) interactions with matter. In this presentation, we discuss the latest of these improvements, a new Cosmic-Source option, that has been implemented in MCNP6.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

MCNP6 Fission Multiplicity with FMULT Card

With the merger of MCNPX and MCNP5 into MCNP6, MCNP6 now provides all the capabilities of both codes allowing the user to access all the fission multiplicity data sets. Detailed in this paper is: (1) the new FMULT card capabilities for accessing these different data sets; (2) benchmark calculations, as compared to experiment, detailing the results of selecting these separate data sets for thermal neutron induced fission on U-235.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗