At sufficiently high energies, the wavelengths of electrons and photons are short enough to only interact with one atom at time, leading to the popular %E2%80%9Cindependent-atom approximation%E2%80%9D. We attempted to incorporate atomic structure in the generation of cross sections (which embody the modeled physics) to improve transport at lower energies. We document our successes and failures. This was a three-year LDRD project. The core team consisted of a radiation-transport expert, a solid-state physicist, and two DFT experts.
We describe a method that enables Monte Carlo calculations to automatically achieve a user-prescribed error of representation for numerical results. Our approach is to iteratively adapt Monte Carlo functional-expansion tallies (FETs). The adaptivity is based on assessing the cellwise 2-norm of error due to both functional-expansion truncation and statistical uncertainty. These error metrics have been detailed by others for one-dimensional distributions. We extend their previous work to threedimensional distributions and demonstrate the use of these error metrics for adaptivity. The method examines Monte Carlo FET results, estimates truncation and uncertainty error, and suggests a minimumrequired expansion order and run time to achieve the desired level of error. Iteration is required for results to converge to the desired error. Our implementation of adaptive FETs is observed to converge to reasonable levels of desired error for the representation of four distributions. In practice, some distributions and desired error levels may require prohibitively large expansion orders and/or Monte Carlo run times.
An order-of-convergence (with respect to a path-length parameter) verification study is undertaken for an implementation of the condensed-history algorithm in a Monte Carlo electron transport code. "Condensed- history" refers to simulating the cumulative effects of the electron without modeling each individual collision. A 1992 paper by Larsen derived the expected order of convergence for a few mathematical models of this type of algorithm. We examine the order of convergence of a condensed-history algorithm based on that used in the Integrated TIGER Series (as applied to electron albedo problems) in the presence of Monte Carlo uncertainty.
This report describes efforts to automate the biasing of coupled electron-photon Monte Carlo particle transport calculations. The approach was based on weight-windows biasing. Weight-window settings were determined using adjoint-flux Monte Carlo calculations. A variety of algorithms were investigated for adaptivity of the Monte Carlo tallies. Tree data structures were used to investigate spatial partitioning. Functional-expansion tallies were used to investigate higher-order spatial representations.
ITS is a powerful and user-friendly software package permitting state-of-the-art Monte Carlo solution of lineartime-independent coupled electron/photon radiation transport problems, with or without the presence of macroscopic electric and magnetic fields of arbitrary spatial dependence. Our goal has been to simultaneously maximize operational simplicity and physical accuracy. Through a set of preprocessor directives, the user selects one of the many ITS codes. The ease with which the makefile system is applied combines with an input scheme based on order-independent descriptive keywords that makes maximum use of defaults and internal error checking to provide experimentalists and theorists alike with a method for the routine but rigorous solution of sophisticated radiation transport problems. Physical rigor is provided by employing accurate cross sections, sampling distributions, and physical models for describing the production and transport of the electron/photon cascade from 1.0 GeV down to 1.0 keV. The availability of source code permits the more sophisticated user to tailor the codes to specific applications and to extend the capabilities of the codes to more complex applications. Version 6, the latest version of ITS, contains (1) improvements to the ITS 5.0 codes, and (2) conversion to Fortran 90. The general user friendliness of the software has been enhanced through memory allocation to reduce the need for users to modify and recompile the code.
ITS is a powerful and user-friendly software package permitting state-of-the-art Monte Carlo solution of linear time-independent coupled electron/photon radiation transport problems, with or without the presence of macroscopic electric and magnetic fields of arbitrary spatial dependence. Our goal has been to simultaneously maximize operational simplicity and physical accuracy. Through a set of preprocessor directives, the user selects one of the many ITS codes. The ease with which the makefile system is applied combines with an input scheme based on order-independent descriptive keywords that makes maximum use of defaults and internal error checking to provide experimentalists and theorists alike with a method for the routine but rigorous solution of sophisticated radiation transport problems. Physical rigor is provided by employing accurate cross sections, sampling distributions, and physical models for describing the production and transport of the electron/photon cascade from 1.0 GeV down to 1.0 keV. The availability of source code permits the more sophisticated user to tailor the codes to specific applications and to extend the capabilities of the codes to more complex applications. Version 5.0, the latest version of ITS, contains (1) improvements to the ITS 3.0 continuous-energy codes, (2) multigroup codes with adjoint transport capabilities, (3) parallel implementations of all ITS codes, (4) a general purpose geometry engine for linking with CAD or other geometry formats, and (5) the Cholla facet geometry library. Moreover, the general user friendliness of the software has been enhanced through increased internal error checking and improved code portability.
The mission of Radiographic Integrated Test Stand-6 (RITS-6) facility is to provide the underlying science and technology for pulsed-power-driven flash radiographic X-ray sources for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Flash X-ray radiography is a penetrating diagnostic to discern the internal structure in dynamic experiments. Short (~50 nanosecond (ns) duration) bursts of very high intensity Xrays from mm-scale source sizes are required at a variety of voltages to address this mission. RITS-6 was designed and is used to both develop the accelerator technology needed for these experiments and serves as the principal test stand to develop the high intensity electron beam diodes that generate the required X-ray sources. RITS is currently in operation with three induction cavities (RITS-3) with a maximum voltage output of 5.5 MV and is classified as a low hazard non-nuclear facility in accordance with CPR 400.1.1, Chapter 13, Hazards Identification/Analysis and Risk Management. The facility will be expanded from three to six cavities (RITS-6) effectively doubling the operating voltage. The increase in the operating voltage to above 10 MV has resulted in RITS-6 being classified as an accelerator facility. RITS-6 will come under DOE Order 420.2B, Safety of Accelerator Facilities. The hazards of RITS are detailed in the "Safety Assessment Document for the Radiographic Integrated Test Stand Facility." The principal non-industrial hazard is prompt x-ray radiation. As the operating voltage is increased, both the penetration power and the total amount (dose) of x-rays are increased, thereby increasing the risk to local personnel. Fixed site shielding (predominantly concrete walls and a steel/lead skyshine shield) is used to attenuate these x-rays and mitigate this risk. This SAND Report details the anticipated x-ray doses, the shielding design, and the anticipated x-ray doses external to this shielding structure both in areas where administrative access control restricts occupation and in adjacent uncontrolled areas.
This document describes the modeling of the physics (and eventually features) in the Integrated TIGER Series (ITS) codes [Franke 04] which is largely pulled from various sources in the open literature (especially [Seltzer 88], [Seltzer 91], [Lorence 89], [Halbleib 92]), although those sources often describe the ETRAN Code from which the physics engine of ITS is derived, not necessarily identical. This is meant to be an evolving document, with more coverage and detail as time goes on. As such, entire sections are still incomplete. Presently, this document covers the continuous-energy ITS codes with more completeness on photon transport (though electron transport will not be completely ignored). In particular, this document does not cover the Multigroup code, MCODES (externally applied electromagnetic fields), or high-energy phenomena (photon pair-production). In this version, equations are largely left to the references though they may be pulled in over time.
This test plan describes the testing strategy for the ITS (Integrated-TIGER-Series) suite of codes. The processes and procedures for performing both verification and validation tests are described. ITS Version 5.0 was developed under the NNSA's ASC program and supports Sandia's stockpile stewardship mission.
ITS is a powerful and user-friendly software package permitting state of the art Monte Carlo solution of linear time-independent couple electron/photon radiation transport problems, with or without the presence of macroscopic electric and magnetic fields of arbitrary spatial dependence. Our goal has been to simultaneously maximize operational simplicity and physical accuracy. Through a set of preprocessor directives, the user selects one of the many ITS codes. The ease with which the makefile system is applied combines with an input scheme based on order-independent descriptive keywords that makes maximum use of defaults and internal error checking to provide experimentalists and theorists alike with a method for the routine but rigorous solution of sophisticated radiation transport problems. Physical rigor is provided by employing accurate cross sections, sampling distributions, and physical models for describing the production and transport of the electron/photon cascade from 1.0 GeV down to 1.0 keV. The availability of source code permits the more sophisticated user to tailor the codes to specific applications and to extend the capabilities of the codes to more complex applications. Version 5.0, the latest version of ITS, contains (1) improvements to the ITS 3.0 continuous-energy codes, (2)multigroup codes with adjoint transport capabilities, and (3) parallel implementations of all ITS codes. Moreover the general user friendliness of the software has been enhanced through increased internal error checking and improved code portability.