Multi-Level Hybrid Monte Carlo / Deterministic Methods for Particle Transport Problems

Abstract

This paper presents multilevel hybrid transport (MLHT) methods for solving the neutral-particle Boltzmann transport equation. The proposed MLHT methods are formulated on a sequence of spatial grids using a multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) approach. The general MLMC algorithm is defined by recursively estimating the expected value of the correction to a solution functional on a neighboring grid. MLMC theory optimizes the total computational cost for estimating a functional to within a target accuracy. The proposed MLHT algorithms are based on the quasidiffusion (variable Eddington factor) and second-moment methods. For these methods, the low-order equations for the angular moments of the angular flux are discretized in space. Monte Carlo techniques compute the closures for the low-order equations; then the equations are solved, yielding a single realization of the global flux solution. The ensemble average of the realizations yields the level solution. The results for 1-D slab transport problems demonstrate weak convergence of the functionals. We observe that the variance of the correction factors decreases faster than the computational cost of generating an MLMC sample increases. In the problems considered, the variance and cost of the MLMC solution are driven by the coarse-grid calculations.