Low energy Photon Simulation in MCNP

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the feasibility of simulating low energy photons in the wavelength range of 300 nm to 1000 nm using the MCNP code, a Monte Carlo simulation tool primarily designed for high energy particle transport. Participants explore the capabilities of MCNP and suggest alternative methods for simulating photon transport.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the possibility of simulating low energy photons in MCNP, specifically in the 300 nm to 1000 nm range.
  • Another participant notes that MCNP can simulate photons down to 1 keV, which corresponds to the soft X-ray region, and mentions limitations regarding visible light simulation, including the absence of refraction or dispersion.
  • A different participant expresses a desire to understand whether low energy photons can reach a specific region of interest, focusing on their transport rather than imaging.
  • Another contribution clarifies that since the release of MCNP version 6.1, it is possible to simulate photons down to 1 eV, provided that the EPRDATA14 cross section library is specified, and gives an example of how to define water material for such simulations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the capabilities of MCNP for simulating low energy photons. While some acknowledge limitations, others highlight recent updates that may allow for such simulations. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the overall feasibility of simulating the desired photon range in MCNP.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations regarding the definitions of energy ranges and the specific requirements for using certain cross section libraries in MCNP. The discussion also reflects uncertainty about the extent to which MCNP can accurately simulate photon transport in the specified wavelength range.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to researchers and practitioners in fields related to photon transport, Monte Carlo simulations, and those exploring the capabilities of MCNP and alternative simulation tools.

Salman Khan
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Hi everyone.
is it possible to simulate low energy photon in wavelength range (300 nm to 1000 nm) in MCNP. If not possible in mcnp please suggest any other code to simulate it.
thanks
 
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MCNP goes down to 1keV, which is around 0.1 nm and in the soft X-ray region. This is a Monte Carlo simulation, so it runs scattering by using probabilities ruled by the physics, and random numbers. There is not a lot of overlap between these methods and visible light. There's no simulation of refraction or dispersion so I suspect it can't do what you want. - Edit, my information is out of date. Thanks to @DamienA for correcting this below.

300nm is in the UV through the visible to the NIR range at 1000nm. If by simulate you want to produce an image with reflection and refraction etc, then a raytracer like POVRay is a good choice. Actual physics simulation beyond these processes may be limited.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Alex, I just want to see that this low energy photon will either reach or not to a region of interest I just want to see their transport
 
Hi, it's true that MCNP is a high energy particles transport code. However, since the release 6.1, it 's possible to simulate photon/electron of energy down to 1 eV (lambda ~1.25 µm) and specify a refractive index for materials (see page 307 on the mcnp6.3.0 user manual) . To be able to transport photons down to 1 eV, You should also specify the EPRDATA14 cross section library (which is not a default xsdir library). Calling such cross section is performed with the extension ".14p" . For instance, you can define water material as " m1 1001.14p 2 8016.14p 1 refi = 1.32 " to compute cerenkov light spreading.
 
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