title: Russian roulette efficiency in Monte Carlo resonant absorption calculations
abstract: The resonant absorption calculation in media containing heavy resonant nuclei is one of the most difficult problems treated in reactor physics. Deterministic techniques need many approximations to solve this kind of problem. On the other hand, the Monte Carlo method is a reliable mathematical tool for evaluating the neutron resonance escape probability. But it suffers from large statistical deviations of results and long computation times. In order to overcome this problem, we have used the Splitting and Russian Roulette technique coupled separately to the survival biasing and to the importance sampling for the energy parameter. These techniques have been used to calculate the neutron resonance absorption in infinite homogenous media containing hydrogen and uranium characterized by the dilution (ratio of the concentrations of hydrogen to uranium). The punctual neutron source energy is taken at Es = 2 MeV and Es = 676.45 eV, whereas the energy cut-off is fixed at Ec = 2.768 eV. The results show a large reduction of computation time and statistical deviation, without altering the mean resonance escape probability compared to the usual analog simulation. The Splitting and Russian Roulette coupled to the survival biasing method is found to be the best methods for studying the neutron resonant absorption, particularly for high energies. A comparison is done between the Monte Carlo and deterministic methods based on the numerical solution of the neutron slowing down equations by the iterative method results for several dilutions.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Physics and Techniques Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Avyad University, Marrakech, Morocco. ghassoun@ucam.ac.ma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ghassoun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jehouani