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Transport Theory and

Statistical Physics
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A review of: “Computational

methods of Neutron
Transport Theory”
a
Barry D. Ganapol
a
The University o f Arizona , Tucson, Arizona
Published online: 19 Aug 2006.

To cite this article: Barry D. Ganapol (1986) A review of: “Computational

methods of Neutron Transport Theory”, Transport Theory and Statistical Physics,
15:5, 693-695, DOI: 10.1080/00411458608212710

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00411458608212710

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 TRANSPORT THEORY AND STATISTICAL PHYSICS, 15(5), 693-695 (1986)

Book Review

Computational Methods of Neutron Transport Theory, E. E. Lewis and

W. F. Miller, Jr., John Wiley and Sons, NY, 1985. 396 pp.. $44.95.

When the study of neutron motion i n matter began a b o u t 35 years

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ago, several excel l e n t texts soon appeared. Neutron Transport Theory,

by Davison, and Linear Transport Theory by Case and Zweifel, for
example, primarily consider the transport equation describing neutron
motion from a mathematical perspective. As our mathematical

understanding of the neutron transport equation increased and nuclear

energy seemed to be a viable energy option, attention turned to the

numerical evaluation. Not since Clark and Hansen's Numerical Methods

of Reactor Analysls. published i n 1964, has a t e x t appeared on the
numerical investigation of neutron transport that i s comparable i n
scope to either of the e a r l i e r mathematical texts. E. Lewis and W.

(Pete) Miller. Jr.. both accomplished numerical analysts, have compiled

an extensive survey of the most widely used numerical methods for

solving the mu1 tidimensional neutron transport equation.
Computational Methods o f Neutron Transport Theory i s intended to

be used i n a f i r s t year graduate course for students w i t h l i t t l e more

mathematical background than found in an undergraduate engfneering
curriculum. For t h i s reason, the f i r s t chapter provides the vocabulary

of neutron transport theory and the heuristic derivation of the neutron

transport equation f o r readers n o t familiar w i t h neutron physics.

Next, the fundamentals of the discrete ordinate method, one of the most

693
 694 BOOK REVIEW

commonly used numerical methods i n the nuclear i n d u s t r y , are described.

The authors f i r s t present the energy d i s c r e t i z a t i o n scheme and a

comprehensive survey o f a c c e l e r a t i o n methods f o r nuclear r e a c t o r

c r i t i c a l i t y calculations. Chapter 4 c l e a r l y d e t a i l s the b a s i s f o r the

v a r i o u s quadrature sets, along w i t h the s p a t i a l and angular

d i f f e r e n c i n g scheme. For completeness, Chapters 5 and 6 present the

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l e s s popular d e t e r m i n i s t i c methods o f c o l l i s i o n p r o b a b i l i t y and f i n i t e

elements associated w i t h the even p a r i t y form o f the t r a n s p o r t

equation. I n the f i n a l chapter, the fundamentals o f the Monte Carlo

method are b r i e f l y reviewed to provide an a l t e r n a t i v e to d e t e r m i n i s t i c

methods.

The authors have succeeded i n t h e i r o b j e c t i v e o f i n t r o d u c i n g

computational methods i n neutron t r a n s p o r t theory a t a graduate l e v e l

by gathering many o f the major c o n t r i b u t i o n s from the l i t e r a t u r e . The

book i s w r i t t e n i n an easy-to-read s t y l e w i t h many f i g u r e s and f u l l y

explained n o t a t i o n . I n a d d i t i o n several i n f o r m a t i v e appendices d e a l i n g

w i t h spherical harmonics, t r u n c a t i o n e r r o r , numerical s t a b i l i t y and

convergence are included. The i n c l u s i o n o f problems a t the end o f each

chapter t r u l y makes t h i s book unique among the c l a s s i c a l texts. The

d i f f i c u l t y o f the problems range from the s o l u t i o n o f o r d i n a r y

d i f f e r e n t i a l equations t o comprehensive computer simulations. These

exercises are an e f f e c t i v e way t o acquaint the student w i t h numerical

transport calculations. Unfortunately, because o f the enormous amount

o f m a t e r i a l on the subject, some t o p i c s such as r a y e f f e c t s and

time-dependence were t r e a t e d o n l y b r i e f l y . The most serious d e f e c t o f

t h i s otherwise c l e a r and i n f o r m a t i v e p r e s e n t a t i o n i s the l a c k o f

numerical comparisons t o guide the numerical analyst. Understandably.

i f supportive r e s u l t s had been presented, the s i z e o f the book would

 BOOK REVIEW 695

have probably doubled. The authors do provide a complete l i s t o f

references, however, f o r the reader d e s i r i n g more i n f o r m a t i o n .

I n a d d i t i o n , t o use i n the classroom, t h i s book i s a valuable

reference f o r the beginning and p r a c t i c i n g numerical a n a l y s t i n the

f i e l d o f general p a r t i c l e t r a n s p o r t theory. Perhaps, the a d d i t i o n o f a

chapter on the adaptation o f the numerical t r a n s p o r t methods t o v e c t o r

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and p a r a l l e l computer a r c h i t e c t u r e s would have made the book an even

more valuable reference.

Barry D. Ganapol
The U n i v e r s i t y o f Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

Received: June 5 , 1986