MOderated NEutron Target (MONET)

This simulation suite is designed to investigate neutron moderation target strategies for producing low-energy neutrons (<1 MeV) that can react with ¹⁷¹Tm through radiative capture at the National Ignition Facility (NIF).

Overview

The goal of this simulation suite is to determine whether it's possible to moderate a significant portion (>10%) of neutrons from DT fusion reactions to energies below 1 MeV for enhanced ¹⁷¹Tm capture reactions. The suite supports comprehensive parameter sweeps to optimize moderation efficiency.

Features

Geometry Options

The simulation suite supports multiple geometry options, including:

• Standard NIF: DT fuel sphere + ablator shell + hohlraum
• Double-shell: Two-shell implosion geometry
• Coronal source: DT ice layer with laser entrance holes
• Dual sources: Any combination of the above listed schemes on either side of a moderator
• Dual filled hohlraum: Filled hohlraum with moderator and two coronal sources on either side

The user defines the geometry and sources in the pre-ignition state, which are then subsquently compressed with the user-defined convergence ratios.

Material Options

The simulation suite supports a wide range of material options, including: TODO: add materials options for each

• Ablators:
• Hohlraums:
• Moderators:
• Dopants:

Source Modeling

The simulation suite supports multiple source modeling options, including:

• Muir energy distribution for DD and DT fusion neutrons
• Delta function or Gaussian time dependence
• Point or spherical source

Analysis Capabilities

The simulation suite supports comprehensive analysis capabilities, including:

• 2D spatial flux/reaction maps
• Energy and time spectra
• Nuclear reaction tallies
• Moderation efficiency calculations
• Comprehensive parameter sweeps

Installation

To install the simulation suite, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository:

git clone <repository_url>

2. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Ensure OpenMC is properly configured with nuclear data libraries.

Quick Start

Single Simulation

To run a single NIF simulation, use the following command:

python scripts/run_single.py

Parameter Sweep

To run a parameter sweep, use the following command:

python scripts/run_sweep.py

Usage Examples

Basic Simulation

To set up and run a basic simulation, use the following code:

Parameter Sweep

To run a parameter sweep, use the following code:

Data Management

Results are automatically organized with: TODO: add data organization

• Simulation parameters
• Tally data
• Plots
• Summary statistics
• Parameter sweep databases

Customization

Adding New Materials

To add a new material

Adding New Geometries

To add a new geometry

Custom Analysis

To add custom analysis

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! To contribute to the project, please follow these steps:

1. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix
2. Make your changes and commit them
3. Push your changes to your forked repository
4. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgements

This project was made possible through funding from