During the summer of 2012, I had the opportunity to participate in a research experience for teachers at the center for sustainable energy at Notre Dame University (RET @ cSEND) working with Professor John LoSecco on the problem of using antineutrino detection to accurately determine the fuel makeup and operating power of nuclear reactors. During…

We present a Monte Carlo simulation of a cylindrical luminescent volume and a typical lens-detector system. The results of this simulation yield a graphically simple picture of the regions within the cylindrical volume from which this system detects light. Because the cylindrical volume permits large angles of incidence, we use a modification of…

Thermodynamic quantities such as the average energy, heat capacity, and entropy are calculated using a Monte Carlo method based on the Metropolis algorithm. This method is illustrated with reference to the harmonic oscillator but is particularly useful when the partition function cannot be evaluated; an example using a one-dimensional spin system…

Monte Carlo simulations are a classical tool to analyse physical systems. When unlikely events are to be simulated, the importance sampling technique is often used instead of Monte Carlo. Importance sampling has some drawbacks when the problem dimensionality is high or when the optimal importance sampling density is complex to obtain. In this…

Notes the computer has progressed from being a fast calculating machine to becoming an important tool for the whole academic spectrum. Discusses the development of new courses being offered to develop skills and knowledge in computational physics. (Author/MVL)