Welcome to MonteCarloPrimer.com
This is the web site
for users of the text books
A Monte Carlo
Primer, A Practical Approach to Radiation Transport in Two Volumes
by
Stephen
A. Dupree
Distinguished
Member of Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque,
NM, USA
Stanley
K. Fraley
Senior Scientist, Sandia National
Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA
The Monte Carlo
method is a powerful tool for solving a wide variety of problems,
including the transport of neutral, sub-atomic particles through matter.
The objective of the two volumes of A Monte
Carlo Primer is to introduce the reader to the Monte Carlo method for solving practical problems in
radiation transport. The subject is presented using a combination of
theoretical development and practical calculations. Emphasis is placed
on how the user can gain confidence in the results of Monte
Carlo calculations and in the uncertainty estimates for
such results. Because Monte Carlo
methods are closely linked to the use of computers, the reader is taught to
convert the theoretical constructs developed in the text into functional
software for use on a personal computer. The books illustrate numerous
applications of the method and can serve as both introductory texts
and reference works for practitioners.
Example problems are used to provide the
reader with an in-depth understanding of the concepts presented and lead to the
production of a unique learning tool, a Probabilistic Framework Code
(PFC). This code models in a simple manner the features of production Monte Carlo transport codes. The code is developed
in stages such that every numerical operation is understood, tested, and
demonstrated before it is incorporated in the code. The operations
developed include performing random sampling, generating random numbers,
implementing geometric models, using variance reduction, tracking particles in
a random walk, testing the thoroughness with which the problem phase space is
sampled, scoring detectors, and obtaining estimates of the uncertainties in
results. Advanced topics covered include nuclear criticality, correlated
sampling, adjoint transport, and neutron thermalization.
Monte Carlo codes can produce highly precise wrong
answers. The probability of this occurring is increased if production
codes are run as opaque "black boxes" of software. The Primer volumes attempt to address
this problem by making Monte Carlo
into a comprehensible, usable tool for solving practical transport
problems. Volume 1 could be used as a supplement to a general course in
radiation transport in which the instructor wishes to include an introduction
to Monte Carlo, or could support a one-semester
course devoted solely to Monte Carlo transport.
Volume 2 provides supplementary material along with solutions to the exercises
in Volume 1.
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The book can be purchased at a number of locations,
including amazon.com.
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Volume 2 contains solutions to the exercises of the first
volume. Included in this volume is a CD
containing all of the Fortran in both volumes.
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Errata for A Monte Carlo Primer, A
Practical Approach to Radiation Transport
The library routines for the Probabilistic
Framework Code (PFC) can be downloaded by clicking on the link to
PFCFiles.zip.
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Contact the authors at MCP@fraleys.com
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