1. NAME AND TITLE
MERCURE 4-V5: Three-Dimensional Code System for Integrating Multigroup Line-of-Sight Attenuation Kernels by Monte Carlo Techniques.
AUXILIARY ROUTINES
ZEBU: Buildup Factor Data Generator.
ZEBIB: Buildup Factor Data Generator for Range 8.654 MeV - 0.507 MeV.
INTERX: Geometry Diagnostic Routine.
BIPVBX: Photon Cross Section Binary Data Generator.
MERCURE 3, A Gamma-Ray Kernel Integration Code SystemStraight-Line Attenuation in Three-Dimensional Geometry, was packaged in 1970; replaced by MERCURE 4 in 1974; updated in 1976; and replaced by the latest technology in 1977; again replaced in 1985 by version 5.
2. CONTRIBUTOR
CEA/CEN Saclay SERMA Shielding and Reliability Laboratory, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
3. CODING LANGUAGE AND COMPUTER
FORTRAN IV; IBM 360/75/91.
4. NATURE OF PROBLEM SOLVED
The MERCURE code system treats the line-of-sight attenuation of particles in heterogeneous media bounded by planes and quadric surfaces, and assemble the cases of volume sources encountered in practice (geometry, spatial distribution, spectrum).
The code system may be used to calculate the dose, heating, flux and energy transport due to a volume source of gamma-rays, or to calculate any quantity which is possible to treat by the point kernel and the line-of-sight method provided kernels are supplied. The code has built-in gamma-ray attenuation kernels and buildup factors for a number of materials. The geometry is three-dimensional and defined by plane and quadric surfaces. Sources are isotropic and can be defined in cylindrical, cartesian, or spherical coordinate systems.
A nuclear data library for gamma-ray calculations (total and energy absorption coefficients, coefficients for the dose, energy absorption, and energy buildup) is used.
5. METHOD OF SOLUTION
The geometry is decomposed in homogeneous and analytical convex mesh such that to each mesh point on a limiting surface there corresponds only one neighbor mesh point. The integration of the point kernel is carried out in the coordinate system utilized for the definition of the source. In cylindrical or spherical geometry, the quadrature in both angular coordinates may be defined by the user or calculated by the program in such a way that the resulting volumes are effectively cubical.
The main differences between MERCURE-4 and its predecessor, MERCURE-3, are: Monte Carlo integration instead of numerical integration, simplified geometry input, additional options for describing distributed sources, making use of a multigroup of photon data in ANISN format, capability for calculating gamma-ray buildup factors for homogeneous mixtures and multi-layer media, and variable dimensioning.
6. RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS
Number of energy groups: 21.
Number of source meshes: 20.
7. TYPICAL RUNNING TIME
The calculation time varies appreciably with the geometrical complexity. For a given geometry it is approximately proportional to the number of volume elements used in the communication. The time corresponding to the calculation of the contribution from an integration volume element is of the order of some milliseconds on the IBM 360.
8. COMPUTER HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
MERCURE was originally designed to run on the IBM 7094 with standard configuration. The packaged version is operable on the IBM 360.
9. COMPUTER SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
Designed for the IBM 7094 FORTRAN IV IBSYS Operating System, MERCURE will compile and execute on the FORTRAN IV Monitor System of the IBM 360-series computers. The code system has an overlay structure; uses 300 K octal memory.
10. REFERENCES
a. Included in package:
C. Dupont and J. C. Nimal, "MERCURE-4: A Three-Dimensional Monte Carlo Program for the Integration of Specific Point Attenuation Kernels in a Straight Line," SERMA/T/No. 436 (OLS-82-116) (July 1980).
C. Dupont and D. Marie, "Application of the MERCURE-4 Program to the Calculation of the Gamma Protection of a Shipping Task - Comparison with the ANISN Code," SERMA/T/No. 136 (AAG Memorandum ETC, Technical Memorandum 73.074) (May 1973).
Christian Devillers and Claude Dupont, "MERCURE-4 A Three-Dimensional Monte Carlo Program for the Integration of Straight-Line Attenuation Point Kernels," CEA-N-1726 (ORNL-tr-2874) (July 1974).
D.C.E. Mathematical Library 360 ALSB (September 1967).
D.C.E. Mathematical Library 360 APHASB (August 1967). ZEBIB Program
Addendum to SERMA/S No. 168: BIP-G1 Photon Multigroup Library.
C. Devillers, "Corrections to SERMA/S No. 120 and SERMA/S No. 168."
C. Dupont, "Search for an Iteration Method of the Importance Functions for Processing by the Monte Carlo Method of Gamma Transport MERCURE-4 Program," (Informal Report).
Contents of the Magnetic Tape - INTERX-MERCURE 4 (1985).
Contents of the BIP-G2 Gamma Library.
Energy Structure of the BIP-G2 Gamma Library.
b. Background information:
C. Devillers, "Description and Method of Use of the Discrete Ordinates Program, ANISN, and its Auxiliary Programs," CEA-N-1358 (1970).
C. Devillers, J. Y. Guezenec, and M. Hot, "Determination of Build-Up Factors for the Propagation of Gamma Rays in the Energy Range 0.5 to 8 MeV by the Method of Equivalent Z, ZEBU Program," CEA-N-1030 (1968).
11. CONTENTS OF CODE PACKAGE
Included are the referenced documents (10.a) and one (1.2MB) DOS diskette which contains the source codes and sample input and output data.
12. DATE OF ABSTRACT
August 1971; revised August 1982, September 1984, May 1985, July 1985, September 1991.
KEYWORDS: KERNEL; COMPLEX GEOMETRY; NEUTRON; GAMMA-RAY