Status of Vectorized Monte Carlo for Particle Transport Analysis

Abstract

The conventional particle transport Monte Carlo algorithm is ill suited for modem vector supercomputers because the random nature of the particle transport process in the history based algorithm in hibits construction of vectors. An alterna tive, event-based algorithm is suitable for vectorization and has been used recently to achieve impressive gains in perfor mance on vector supercomputers. This re view describes the event-based algorithm and several variations of it Implementa tions of this algorithm for applications in particle transport are described, and their relative merits are discussed. The imple mentation of Monte Carlo methods on multiple vector parallel processors is con sidered, as is the potential of massively parallel processors for Monte Carlo par ticle transport simulations.