Is the Standard Monte Carlo Power Iteration Approach the Wrong Approach?

Booth, Thomas E¹ 

[1] Los Alamos National Laboratory

关键词: CONVERGENCE;    EIGENFUNCTIONS;    NEUTRONS;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1043017
RP-ID  :  LA-UR-12-21928
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1043017
Others  :  TRN: US1203078

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

The power iteration method is the standard Monte Carlo approach for obtaining the eigenfunctions of a nuclear system, but the power method sometimes converges very slowly. Most discussions give a mathematical reason for the slow convergence of the Monte Carlo power method using the same concepts and terminology as when the power method is applied to a deterministic problem. This note first looks at why the convergence is slow from an intuitive Monte Carlo neutron perspective. Second, this note proposes building an eigenfunction intuitively in a cumulative (and noniterative) neutron by neutron manner that tends to better direct neutrons to where the neutrons need to be. Third, a very similar method for building the second eigenfunction is speculatively proposed.