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Trahan, Travis John

Publications and source records attributed to Trahan, Travis John.

MCNP ® Code Version 6.3.1 Theory & User Manual

This document acts as a repository of knowledge for the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) transport computer code. It is maintained alongside the source code and attempts to introduce new users and re-familiarize experienced users with the theory and practices of using the MCNP code for the wide range of particle transport analyses that it is appropriate for. The latest version of the MCNP code, version 6.3.1, provides the Monte Carlo particle transport community with the latest feature developments and bug fixes in the MCNP code. The MCNP code version 6.0 and later is also known as the MCNP6 code.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

MCNP ® Code Version 6.3.0 Theory & User Manual

This document acts as a repository of knowledge for the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) transport computer code. It is maintained alongside the source code and attempts to introduce new users and re-familiarize experienced users with the theory and practices of using the MCNP code for the wide range of particle transport analyses that it is appropriate for. The latest version of the MCNP code, version 6.3.0, provides the Monte Carlo particle transport community with the latest feature developments and bug fixes in the MCNP code. The MCNP code version 6.0 and later is also known as the MCNP6 code.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

Monte Carlo Transport: Computational Physics Summer Workshop [Slides]

In general, Monte Carlo methods simulate large numbers of random trials in order to observe numerical behavior of systems described by probabilistic behavior. In radiation transport, pseudo-random number generators are used to randomly sample individual particle lives. Information about the particles are tallied.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Multigroup Scattering in Monte Carlo Radiation Transport Codes [Slides]

Legendre truncations to multigroup scattering distributions are not amenable to Monte Carlo sampling due to negative values. We have implemented two moment-preserving methods in MGMC that capture the shape of the truncation, are non-negative over [-1, 1], and can be efficiently sampled on CPUs and GPUs. MGMC can now simulate neutrons with anisotropic scattering mechanics and MGMC shows good agreement with LANL production codes PARTISN.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

A quasi-static Monte Carlo algorithm for the simulation of sub-prompt critical transients

A pseudo-time-dependent Monte Carlo algorithm suitable for simulating thermal reactor transients with timescales on the order of seconds is presented. An initial experimental implementation has been written into the Monte Carlo Application ToolKit (MCATK) developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The algorithm is essentially a combination of the fully time-dependent Monte Carlo algorithm, including the explicit simulation of delayed neutron precursors, and a quasi-static algorithm that does not use the point-kinetics equations. The fully time-dependent calculation is performed for some number of inactive and active micro time steps. The dynamic reactor time constant and delayed neutron precursor production rates are calculated directly from the active cycles, rather than from point-kinetics parameters. These quantities are then used to advance the neutron population and delayed neutron precursors forward in time across a macro time step. As a result, the method is applied to the C5G7-TD benchmark operating in steady state and in transient mode.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Continuous Energy Photon Transport Implementation in MCATK

The Monte Carlo Application ToolKit (MCATK) code development team has implemented Monte Carlo photon transport into the MCATK software suite. The current particle transport capabilities in MCATK, which process the tracking and collision physics, have been extended to enable tracking of photons using the same continuous energy approximation. We describe the four photoatomic processes implemented, which are coherent scattering, incoherent scattering, pair-production, and photoelectric absorption. The accompanying background, implementation, and verification of these processes will be presented.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

An Overview of the Monte Carlo Methods, Codes, & Applications Group

This report sketches the work of the Group to deliver first-principle Monte Carlo methods, production quality codes, and radiation transport-based computational and experimental assessments using the codes MCNP and MCATK for such applications as criticality safety, non-proliferation, nuclear energy, nuclear threat reduction and response, radiation detection and measurement, radiation health protection, and stockpile stewardship.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗