No description available.

This thesis is a blend of neutron transport theory and numerical analysis. We start with the study of the problem of the Mika/Case eigenexpansion used in the solution process of the homogeneous one-speed Boltzmann neutron transport equation with anisotropic scattering for plane symmetry. The anisotropic scattering is expressed as a finite Legendre series in which the coefficients are the ``scattering coefficients'. This eigenexpansion consists of a discrete spectrum of eigenvalues with its corresponding eigenfunctions and the continuous spectrum [-1,+1] with its corresponding eigendistributions. In the general case where the anisotropic scattering can be of any (finite) order, multiple discrete eigenvalues exist and these have to be located to have the complete spectrum. We have devised a stable and robust method that locates all these discrete eigenvalues. The method is a two-step process: first the number of discrete eigenvalues is calculated and this is followed by the calculation of the discrete eigenvalues themselves, now being able to count them down and make sure none are forgotten. During our numerical experiments, we came across what we called near-singular eigenvalues: discrete eigenvalues that are located extremely close to the continuum and hence lead to near-singular behaviour in the eigenfunction. Our solution method has been adapted and allows for the automatic detection of such a near-singular eigenvalue. For the elements of the continuous spectrum [-1,+1], there is no non-zero function satisfying the associated eigenequation but there is a non-zero distribution that does satisfy it. It is not feasible to compute a distribution as such but one can evaluate integrals in which this distribution appears. The continuum part of the eigenexpansion can hence only be characterised by its (angular) moments. Accurate and fast numerical quadrature is needed to evaluate these integrals. Several quadrature methods have been evaluated on a representative test function. The eigenexpansion was proved to be orthogonal and complete and hence can be used to represent the infinite medium Green's function. The latter is the building block of the Boundary Sources Method, an integral solution method for the neutron transport equation. Using angular and angular/spatial moments of the Green's function, it is possible to solve with high accuracy slab problems. We have written a one-dimensional slab code implementing this Boundary Sources Method allowing for media with arbitrary order anisotropic scattering. Our results are very good and the code can be considered as a benchmark code for others. As a final application, we have used our code to study the discrete spectrum of a well-known scattering kernel in radiative transfer, the Henyey-Greenstein kernel. This kernel has one free parameter which is used to fit the kernel to experimental data. Since the kernel is a continuous function, a finite Legendre approximation needs to be adopted. Depending on the free parameter, the approximation order and the number of secondaries per collision, the number of discrete eigenvalues ranges from two to thirty and even more. Bounds for the minimum approximation order are derived for different requirements on the approximation: non-negativity, an absolute and relative error tolerance.

No description available.

<p> Working within the framework of the linearized Boltzmann equation for the conduction electrons the existing theoretical treatments of ultrasonic attenuation in metals are extended to include realistic descriptions of the electronic structure and electron-lattice interaction. A variational solution of the Boltzmann equation which allows the inclusion of phonon drag effects is derived. An anisotropic scattering time solution is also presented. Both of these solutions are applied to calculation of the attenuation coefficient in pure metals and dilute alloys. </p> <p> The theory of the effects of electron-electron collisions on the ultrasonic attenuation in metals is also examined. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

L’amélioration de la sécurité routière ainsi que le développement des systèmes de transports intelligents sont des enjeux d’avenir dans le secteur automobile avec un essor considérable du véhicule semi autonome et autonome. Les systèmes de sécurité active qui équipent de plus en plus les véhicules commercialisés utilisent des capteurs radar (longue et courte portée) fonctionnant dans les bandes 24 GHz ou 77 GHz. L’étude et la mise au point de tels capteurs peuvent être facilitées via l’utilisation d’une plate-forme de simulation générique permettant de simuler un système radar couplé à son environnement selon des scénarios types prédéfinis. Il est alors nécessaire de disposer d’une représentation fiable et réaliste de l’environnement et des objets présents.Cette thèse aborde la caractérisation et la modélisation du canal de propagation et plus largement de l’environnement radioélectrique en ondes millimétriques pour des applications radar, en termes de phénomènes de propagation (trajets multiples, réflexion, diffraction …) et de cibles électriquement larges. Une combinaison de méthodes asymptotiques a été mise en œuvre afin de permettre l'analyse de problèmes électriquement larges en bande W, tout en réduisant les exigences en temps de calcul et en capacité de mémoire. La précision du simulateur a été évaluée à l’aide d’une campagne de mesures de SER de cibles canoniques et complexes de petite taille (inférieure 6cm) dans une chambre anéchoïque. Le banc de mesure mis en œuvre a permis également de valider une procédure expérimentale de détermination de la signature radar. En effet, la procédure expérimentale a été généralisée à la mesure de la signature radar d’objets de taille réelle, dans un milieu « indoor ». Les mesures effectuées ont montré une bonne adéquation avec les résultats présentés dans la littérature. En outre, ces données expérimentales permettent d’extraire une description de la cible par des points brillants qui modélisent les phénomènes de diffusion et de réflexion spéculaire. La réponse à haute fréquence d’une cible peut être approchée par la somme de réponses de ses points brillants. On propose ainsi de simplifier les signatures mesurées pour maximiser l'efficacité de calcul. Comparé aux modèles géométriques détaillés d’une cible complexe, le modèle de points brillants conduit à une meilleure efficacité des simulations de propagation basées sur des rayons dans des scénarios routiers. Le modèle tient également compte de l’anisotropie des diffuseurs (dans le plan azimutal) en modélisant leurs amplitudes par des gaussiennes. / Improving road safety as well as the development of intelligent transport systems are issues of the future in the automotive sector with a considerable rise of the semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicle. The active safety systems that increasingly equip commercial vehicles use radar sensors (long and short range) operating in the 24 GHz or 77GHz bands. The study and development of such sensors can be facilitated through the use of a generic simulation platform to simulate a radar system coupled to its environment according to predefined standard scenarios. It is then necessary to have a reliable and realistic representation of the environment as well as targets. This thesis deals with the characterization and modelling of the propagation channel for radar applications, in terms of propagation phenomena (multipath, reflection, diffraction …) and electrically large targets. A combination of asymptotic methods was developed for the analysis of electrically large problems in W band, while reducing the requirements in CPU time and memory. The accuracy of the simulator was evaluated with radar cross section measurement of canonical and complex small targets (not exceeding 6 cm) in an anechoic chamber. The developed bench measurement also made it possible to validate an experimental procedure for determining the radar signature. Indeed, the experimental characterization was generalized to characterize various automotive related targets in an “indoor” environment. Measurement results matched well with the results presented in the literature. Moreover, the experimental data allows the extraction of a simple target description in terms of scattering points which model the diffusion and specular reflection phenomena. The high frequency response of a target can be approached by the sum of the responses of its scattering centres. It is thus proposed to simplify the measured signatures in order to increase the computation efficiency. Compared to detailed geometrical representation of a complex target, scattering centre model leads to better efficiency of ray-based propagation simulations of road scenarios. The model also takes into account the scattering centre anisotropy (in the azimuth plan) by modelling their amplitudes by Gaussian ones.

In this work, an analytical approach is used along with nodal schemes for the solution of xed source two-dimensional neutron transport problems, in Cartesian geometry, de ned in heterogeneous medium, with anisotropic scattering. The methodology is developed from the discrete ordinates version of the two-dimensional transport equation along with the level symmetric angular quadrature set. One-dimensional equations for the averaged angular uxes are obtained by transverse integration of the original problem. Such equations are solved by the ADO method. Explicit expressions in spatial variables are derived for averaged uxes in each region in which the domain is subdivided. The solution in each region is coupled with that of its neighbouring regions to provide the solution in the whole domain, without resorting to using iterative methods. As usual in nodal schemes, auxiliary equations are needed. Here two di erent treatments were given to this issue: one based on relations between the unknown ows in the contours of the regions and the average angular uxes, and another in which these ows are approximated by polynomials of order zero being in this case, incorporated into the source term. Numerical results were compared with available literature showing the solution preserve the computational e ciency which has been a good feature of the ADO method when applied to different problems. / Neste trabalho, uma abordagem analítica é utilizada juntamente com esquemas nodais na resolução de problemas bidimensionais de transporte de nêutrons de fonte fixa, em geometria cartesiana, definidos em meio heterogêneo, com espalhamento anisotrópico. A metodologia proposta é desenvolvida a partir da versão em ordenadas discretas da equação de transporte bidimensional, juntamente com o esquema de quadratura simétrica de nível. As equações em ordenadas discretas são integradas transversalmente, originando equações unidimensionais para os fluxos angulares médios. Tais equações unidimensionais são resolvidas pelo método ADO (Analytical Discrete Ordinates). Expressões explícitas nas variáveis espaciais são derivadas para os fluxos angulares médios em cada região em que o domínio foi subdividido. A solução em cada região é acoplada às regiões vizinhas, para fornecer a solução no domínio todo, sem a utilização de métodos iterativos. Como usual em esquemas nodais, equações auxiliares são necessárias, recebendo neste estudo dois tratamentos distintos: um em que os fluxos desconhecidos nos contornos das regiões assumem relações de proporcionalidade, com os fluxos angulares médios; e, outro, em que esses fluxos são aproximados por polinômios de ordem zero sendo, nesse caso, incorporados ao termo fonte. Resultados numéricos obtidos e comparados com disponíveis na literatura mostram a viabilidade da formulação, mantendo a eficiência computacional já verificada no tratamento de outros problemas, com o uso do método ADO.

In this work, an analytical approach is used along with nodal schemes for the solution of xed source two-dimensional neutron transport problems, in Cartesian geometry, de ned in heterogeneous medium, with anisotropic scattering. The methodology is developed from the discrete ordinates version of the two-dimensional transport equation along with the level symmetric angular quadrature set. One-dimensional equations for the averaged angular uxes are obtained by transverse integration of the original problem. Such equations are solved by the ADO method. Explicit expressions in spatial variables are derived for averaged uxes in each region in which the domain is subdivided. The solution in each region is coupled with that of its neighbouring regions to provide the solution in the whole domain, without resorting to using iterative methods. As usual in nodal schemes, auxiliary equations are needed. Here two di erent treatments were given to this issue: one based on relations between the unknown ows in the contours of the regions and the average angular uxes, and another in which these ows are approximated by polynomials of order zero being in this case, incorporated into the source term. Numerical results were compared with available literature showing the solution preserve the computational e ciency which has been a good feature of the ADO method when applied to different problems. / Neste trabalho, uma abordagem analítica é utilizada juntamente com esquemas nodais na resolução de problemas bidimensionais de transporte de nêutrons de fonte fixa, em geometria cartesiana, definidos em meio heterogêneo, com espalhamento anisotrópico. A metodologia proposta é desenvolvida a partir da versão em ordenadas discretas da equação de transporte bidimensional, juntamente com o esquema de quadratura simétrica de nível. As equações em ordenadas discretas são integradas transversalmente, originando equações unidimensionais para os fluxos angulares médios. Tais equações unidimensionais são resolvidas pelo método ADO (Analytical Discrete Ordinates). Expressões explícitas nas variáveis espaciais são derivadas para os fluxos angulares médios em cada região em que o domínio foi subdividido. A solução em cada região é acoplada às regiões vizinhas, para fornecer a solução no domínio todo, sem a utilização de métodos iterativos. Como usual em esquemas nodais, equações auxiliares são necessárias, recebendo neste estudo dois tratamentos distintos: um em que os fluxos desconhecidos nos contornos das regiões assumem relações de proporcionalidade, com os fluxos angulares médios; e, outro, em que esses fluxos são aproximados por polinômios de ordem zero sendo, nesse caso, incorporados ao termo fonte. Resultados numéricos obtidos e comparados com disponíveis na literatura mostram a viabilidade da formulação, mantendo a eficiência computacional já verificada no tratamento de outros problemas, com o uso do método ADO.

In this work, an analytical approach is used along with nodal schemes for the solution of xed source two-dimensional neutron transport problems, in Cartesian geometry, de ned in heterogeneous medium, with anisotropic scattering. The methodology is developed from the discrete ordinates version of the two-dimensional transport equation along with the level symmetric angular quadrature set. One-dimensional equations for the averaged angular uxes are obtained by transverse integration of the original problem. Such equations are solved by the ADO method. Explicit expressions in spatial variables are derived for averaged uxes in each region in which the domain is subdivided. The solution in each region is coupled with that of its neighbouring regions to provide the solution in the whole domain, without resorting to using iterative methods. As usual in nodal schemes, auxiliary equations are needed. Here two di erent treatments were given to this issue: one based on relations between the unknown ows in the contours of the regions and the average angular uxes, and another in which these ows are approximated by polynomials of order zero being in this case, incorporated into the source term. Numerical results were compared with available literature showing the solution preserve the computational e ciency which has been a good feature of the ADO method when applied to different problems. / Neste trabalho, uma abordagem analítica é utilizada juntamente com esquemas nodais na resolução de problemas bidimensionais de transporte de nêutrons de fonte fixa, em geometria cartesiana, definidos em meio heterogêneo, com espalhamento anisotrópico. A metodologia proposta é desenvolvida a partir da versão em ordenadas discretas da equação de transporte bidimensional, juntamente com o esquema de quadratura simétrica de nível. As equações em ordenadas discretas são integradas transversalmente, originando equações unidimensionais para os fluxos angulares médios. Tais equações unidimensionais são resolvidas pelo método ADO (Analytical Discrete Ordinates). Expressões explícitas nas variáveis espaciais são derivadas para os fluxos angulares médios em cada região em que o domínio foi subdividido. A solução em cada região é acoplada às regiões vizinhas, para fornecer a solução no domínio todo, sem a utilização de métodos iterativos. Como usual em esquemas nodais, equações auxiliares são necessárias, recebendo neste estudo dois tratamentos distintos: um em que os fluxos desconhecidos nos contornos das regiões assumem relações de proporcionalidade, com os fluxos angulares médios; e, outro, em que esses fluxos são aproximados por polinômios de ordem zero sendo, nesse caso, incorporados ao termo fonte. Resultados numéricos obtidos e comparados com disponíveis na literatura mostram a viabilidade da formulação, mantendo a eficiência computacional já verificada no tratamento de outros problemas, com o uso do método ADO.

This thesis is a blend of neutron transport theory and numerical analysis. We start with the study of the problem of the Mika/Case eigenexpansion used in the solution process of the homogeneous one-speed Boltzmann neutron transport equation with anisotropic scattering for plane symmetry. The anisotropic scattering is expressed as a finite Legendre series in which the coefficients are the ``scattering coefficients'. This eigenexpansion consists of a discrete spectrum of eigenvalues with its corresponding eigenfunctions and the continuous spectrum [-1,+1] with its corresponding eigendistributions. In the general case where the anisotropic scattering can be of any (finite) order, multiple discrete eigenvalues exist and these have to be located to have the complete spectrum. We have devised a stable and robust method that locates all these discrete eigenvalues. The method is a two-step process: first the number of discrete eigenvalues is calculated and this is followed by the calculation of the discrete eigenvalues themselves, now being able to count them down and make sure none are forgotten. <p><p>During our numerical experiments, we came across what we called near-singular eigenvalues: discrete eigenvalues that are located extremely close to the continuum and hence lead to near-singular behaviour in the eigenfunction. Our solution method has been adapted and allows for the automatic detection of such a near-singular eigenvalue. <p><p>For the elements of the continuous spectrum [-1,+1], there is no non-zero function satisfying the associated eigenequation but there is a non-zero distribution that does satisfy it. It is not feasible to compute a distribution as such but one can evaluate integrals in which this distribution appears. The continuum part of the eigenexpansion can hence only be characterised by its (angular) moments. Accurate and fast numerical quadrature is needed to evaluate these integrals. Several quadrature methods have been evaluated on a representative test function. <p><p><p>The eigenexpansion was proved to be orthogonal and complete and hence can be used to represent the infinite medium Green's function. The latter is the building block of the Boundary Sources Method, an integral solution method for the neutron transport equation. Using angular and angular/spatial moments of the Green's function, it is possible to solve with high accuracy slab problems. We have written a one-dimensional slab code implementing this Boundary Sources Method allowing for media with arbitrary order anisotropic scattering. Our results are very good and the code can be considered as a benchmark code for others. <p><p><p>As a final application, we have used our code to study the discrete spectrum of a well-known scattering kernel in radiative transfer, the Henyey-Greenstein kernel. This kernel has one free parameter which is used to fit the kernel to experimental data. Since the kernel is a continuous function, a finite Legendre approximation needs to be adopted. Depending on the free parameter, the approximation order and the number of secondaries per collision, the number of discrete eigenvalues ranges from two to thirty and even more. Bounds for the minimum approximation order are derived for different requirements on the approximation: non-negativity, an absolute and relative error tolerance. <p> / Doctorat en sciences appliquées / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished