MONK version 8B is now available from the ANSWERS Software Service and continues to provide the capability to perform both criticality and reactor physics calculations using a range of nuclear data libraries. All existing capabilities of MONK version 8A have been retained in version 8B to provide a seamless upgrade path and these have been augmented by major additions to the code's repertoire.

The main new benefits of MONK version 8B are

• Cross-section sensitivity capability - the ability to calculate the first-order sensitivity of k-effective to material density, nuclide, reaction and energy group. This could assist in the calculation of EPD2
• Nuclear data - hyperfine library based on JENDL3.2 is now available, along with the existing UKNDL, JEF2.2 and ENDF/B-VI libraries. The broad-group WIMS libraries from UKNDL and JEF2.2, and the SCALE broad-group library, can all be used
• New Hole Material - the RTZMESH hole has been added to give increased flexibility for modelling azimuthal variation within holes
• Component Multiplication - the multiplication within selected PARTs of the geometry can be output to allow the user to obtain a better appreciation of the neutronic behaviour of the system being modelled
• Simple rotation option - this has been extended to include the Hole materials, and provides a user friendly input for rotating bodies about the X, Y or Z axis in addition to the more general capability
• GHOLE - this option allows Hole materials to reference the global origin of the system being modelled irrespective of where the hole is used or how it is referenced
• Functions and Parameters - the ability to set a parameter as a function of a parameter has been included. Multi-line functions can now be used to allow more complex calculation to be performed by the code
• Material Compositions - the Material Specification input unit has been enhanced to allow it to be used for reactor physics calculations, thus giving the user a single input format for all types of calculations
• Summary Table - this is a single output file which can contain all the results from a set of looping calculations, aiding the user in both quickly viewing their results and in copy the results to a spreadsheet for further analysis

The new code is supported by a comprehensive update to the User Guide in both paper and 'pdf' format together with a new features primer. Updates to the visualisation packages VISAGE and VISTA are also available to accompany MONK8.

For further information, see 'An Introduction to the New Features of MONK Version 8B' (pdf: 177k - 56 pages)