It always cracks me up to read these innocent seeming press releases with statements like:
“Neutron transport equations are useful in understanding processes in nuclear reactors and in particle beams employed in science and industry.”
And nuclear bombs. Bombs is why they’re doing these calculations. That’s why. Not for any other reason. The other uses are a mere side show. Nuclear power plants worked just fine before these calculations. Bombs can’t be tested any more due to treaties, so simulations must be used. This is for making bombs, and only bombs.
Sandia’s “Z machine” is often in the news with nearly identical press releases talking about future fusion power applications. It has no such applications, never will, and can’t possibly. Its only purpose is gathering experimental data for fusion bomb simulations. It has no other purpose. It’s for bombs!
While most of LANL's CPU cycles are likely being spent on that, the code mentioned in the article (PARTISN) is used pretty routinely in nuclear reactor and medical shielding calculations. You can even get a copy of the source code from RSICC if you were so inclined.
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[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 26.1 ms ] thread“Neutron transport equations are useful in understanding processes in nuclear reactors and in particle beams employed in science and industry.”
And nuclear bombs. Bombs is why they’re doing these calculations. That’s why. Not for any other reason. The other uses are a mere side show. Nuclear power plants worked just fine before these calculations. Bombs can’t be tested any more due to treaties, so simulations must be used. This is for making bombs, and only bombs.
Sandia’s “Z machine” is often in the news with nearly identical press releases talking about future fusion power applications. It has no such applications, never will, and can’t possibly. Its only purpose is gathering experimental data for fusion bomb simulations. It has no other purpose. It’s for bombs!
While most of LANL's CPU cycles are likely being spent on that, the code mentioned in the article (PARTISN) is used pretty routinely in nuclear reactor and medical shielding calculations. You can even get a copy of the source code from RSICC if you were so inclined.