Radiation Transport Simulation

Standard workflow

1. Define objective and observable:

• Primary question (for example dose, flux, heating, detector response)
• Acceptance criterion and required precision

2. Define model assumptions:

• Geometry fidelity level and simplifications
• Material compositions, densities, temperature where relevant
• Physics models and energy cutoffs

3. Define source and boundary conditions:

• Source type, spectrum, angular distribution, normalization
• Time dependence (steady-state vs transient approximation)

4. Plan tallies and diagnostics:

• Tally regions and mesh resolution
• Relative error targets and confidence requirements
• Figure-of-merit targets where available

5. Execute in staged runs:

• Pilot run for sanity checks
• Production runs with explicit random seed strategy
• Optional independent replicate runs for robustness

6. Verify and validate:

• Conservation checks (energy/particle balance)
• Sensitivity checks to key assumptions
• Comparison to benchmark or analytic limits

7. Report with uncertainty:

• Mean, variance, confidence intervals
• Dominant uncertainty sources (statistical vs model)
• Reproducibility metadata (tool version, inputs, seed policy)

Quality checklist

• Units are consistent and explicitly documented
• Geometry/material definitions are versioned and reviewable
• Physics list/cross-section library is recorded
• Statistical uncertainty is reported with each key metric
• Variance reduction methods are justified and documented
• Any non-convergence is surfaced, not hidden

Deliverables

• Reproducible input set and run configuration
• Short methods note (assumptions, solver settings, validation checks)
• Results table with uncertainty and confidence reporting
• Follow-up list for model risks and sensitivity gaps