Computational efficiency using the CYBER-205 computer for the PACER Monte Carlo Program

The use of the large memory of the CYBER-205 and its vector data handling logic produced speedups over scalar code ranging from a factor of 7 for unit cell calculations with relatively few compositions to a factor of 5 for problems having more detailed geometry and materials. By vectorizing the neutron tracking in PACER (the collision analysis remained in scalar code), an asymptotic value of 200 neutrons/cpu-second was achieved for a batch size of 10,000 neutrons. The complete vectorization of the Monte Carlo method as performed by Brown resulted in even higher speedups in neutron processing rates over the use of scalar code. Large speedups in neutron processing rates are beneficial not only to achieve more accurate results for the neutronics calculations which are routinely done using Monte Carlo, but also to extend the use of the Monte Carlo method to applications that were previously considered impractical because of large running times