Re: ????MicroShield Validation; Physical Testing

[Charles Kelsey <ckelsey@csn.net>]

Jim Barnes,

As pointed out by Gary Masters verification of function of codes on
specific platforms is important and generally involves the running of a
set of test input and comparing the output to a supplied set.  This
however is not code validation. 

Code validation is necessary for families of problems and is commonly
called benchmarking.  A family of problems may involve a photon energy
range and some specific shielding materials.  The approximations made to
geometry specification are also a family characteristic.  Code results are
commonly compared to experimental results and results from other codes
that have been benchmarked for the desired family of problems. 

I would contact the MicroShield code vendor, Grove Engineering I believe,
for benchmark documentation.  Being a rather expensive package I would
expect quality control to have driven them to cataloging and supplying
such information.  If they can not, it is the user's responsibility to
validate computations with benchmark calculations. 

I hope this helps in your pursuit. 

Charles Kelsey
ckelsey@csn.net

Radiological Engineering
Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site