Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code
Encyclopedia
Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP) is a software package for simulating nuclear
processes. It is developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory
and is distributed within the United States by the Radiation Safety Information Computational Center in Oak Ridge, TN and internationally by the Nuclear Energy Agency
in Paris, France. It is used primarily for the simulation of nuclear processes, such as fission
, but has the capability to simulate particle interactions involving neutrons, photons, and electrons. "Specific areas of application include, but are not limited to, radiation protection and dosimetry, radiation shielding, radiography
, medical physics, nuclear criticality
safety, detector design and analysis, nuclear oil well logging
, accelerator
target design, fission and fusion reactor design, decontamination and decommissioning."
MCNPX (Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended) was also developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and is capable of simulating particle interactions of 34 different types of particles (nucleons and ions) and 2000+ heavy ions at nearly all energies, including those simulated by MCNP.
Both codes can be used to judge whether or not nuclear systems are critical
and to determine doses from sources, among other things.
Nuclear reaction
In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, a nuclear reaction is semantically considered to be the process in which two nuclei, or else a nucleus of an atom and a subatomic particle from outside the atom, collide to produce products different from the initial particles...
processes. It is developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
and is distributed within the United States by the Radiation Safety Information Computational Center in Oak Ridge, TN and internationally by the Nuclear Energy Agency
Nuclear Energy Agency
The Nuclear Energy Agency is an intergovernmental multinational agency that is organized under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development...
in Paris, France. It is used primarily for the simulation of nuclear processes, such as fission
Nuclear fission
In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts , often producing free neutrons and photons , and releasing a tremendous amount of energy...
, but has the capability to simulate particle interactions involving neutrons, photons, and electrons. "Specific areas of application include, but are not limited to, radiation protection and dosimetry, radiation shielding, radiography
Radiography
Radiography is the use of X-rays to view a non-uniformly composed material such as the human body. By using the physical properties of the ray an image can be developed which displays areas of different density and composition....
, medical physics, nuclear criticality
Critical mass
A critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The critical mass of a fissionable material depends upon its nuclear properties A critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The...
safety, detector design and analysis, nuclear oil well logging
Well logging
Well logging, also known as borehole logging is the practice of making a detailed record of the geologic formations penetrated by a borehole. The log may be based either on visual inspection of samples brought to the surface or on physical measurements made by instruments lowered into the hole...
, accelerator
Particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
target design, fission and fusion reactor design, decontamination and decommissioning."
MCNPX (Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended) was also developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and is capable of simulating particle interactions of 34 different types of particles (nucleons and ions) and 2000+ heavy ions at nearly all energies, including those simulated by MCNP.
Both codes can be used to judge whether or not nuclear systems are critical
Critical mass
A critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The critical mass of a fissionable material depends upon its nuclear properties A critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The...
and to determine doses from sources, among other things.
See also
- Safety code (nuclear reactor)Safety code (nuclear reactor)In the context of nuclear reactors, a safety code is a computer program used to analyze the safety of a reactor, or to simulate possible accident conditions.- External links :* *...
- Monte Carlo methodMonte Carlo methodMonte Carlo methods are a class of computational algorithms that rely on repeated random sampling to compute their results. Monte Carlo methods are often used in computer simulations of physical and mathematical systems...
- Monte Carlo methods for electron transportMonte Carlo methods for electron transportThe Monte Carlo method for electron transport is a semiclassical Monte Carlo approach of modeling semiconductor transport. Assuming the carrier motion consists of free flights interrupted by scattering mechanisms, a computer is utilized to simulate the trajectories of particles as they move across...
- Nuclear reactorNuclear reactorA nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
- Nuclear engineeringNuclear engineeringNuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics...
- NeutronNeutronThe neutron is a subatomic hadron particle which has the symbol or , no net electric charge and a mass slightly larger than that of a proton. With the exception of hydrogen, nuclei of atoms consist of protons and neutrons, which are therefore collectively referred to as nucleons. The number of...
- FLUKA Particle Transport Code
- Geant4Geant4Geant4 is a platform for "the simulation of the passage of particles through matter," using Monte Carlo methods. It is the successor of the GEANT series of software toolkits developed by CERN, and the first to use Object oriented programming . Its development, maintenance and user support are...
- KENOKeno (computer program)Keno is a software package for simulating nuclear processes. It was written by Elliot Whitesides and others at Oak Ridge National Laboratories, starting in the 1960s. It is used primarily for the calculation of the neutron multiplication factor , which is used to judge whether or not nuclear...
- MCUMonte Carlo UniversalMonte Carlo Universal is a project on development and practical use of a universal computer code for simulation of particle transport in three-dimensional systems by means of the Monte Carlo method....
- MELCORMELCORMELCOR is a nuclear engineering computer code that can model the progression of accidents in nuclear reactors. It is sometimes, though incorrectly, said to be an acronym of Methods for Estimation of Leakages and Consequences of Releases...
- MONKMONKMONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes, particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor, or k-effective, of a system. It is owned by Serco Assurance...
- TRIPOLI4