Variational characterizations of the effective multiplication factor of a nuclear reactor core (Q973901)

The aim of the paper are the variational characterizations of the \textit{effective multiplication factor} arising in nuclear reactor theory. The \textit{power distribution} in a stable nuclear reactor core is determined by the solution \(\phi\) of a linear transport equation for the neutron flux. If a fissile fuel is present, some neutrons may be absorbed and cause more fissions thus the linear stationary transport equation becomes of non-standard type in the sense that the source term is itself a function of the solution. In this equation (see in the paper Eq. (1.1)) we have the positive ratio \(k_{\text{eff}}\) (called the \textit{effective multiplication factor} or \textit{criticality eigenvalue}): if this ratio \(k_{\text{eff}}>1\) we have the \textit{super-critical} reactor; the case \(k_{\text{eff}}=1\) is a boundary one. The considerations about \(k_{\text{eff}}\) are the basis of given in the paper variational characterizations and are motivated by the results presented by \textit{M. Mokhtar-Kharroubi} [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 315, No. 1, 263--275 (2006; Zbl 1092.35023)]. The whole paper consists of four sections. In the Introduction we have the considerations mentioned above that give us an outline of the problem. In Section 2 several abstract variational characterizations of the criticality eigenvalue are given to treat in the same formalism the problems represented by two important equations, i.e. Eq. (1.1) -- it represents the description of neutrons transport, and Eq. (1.3) -- it represents one type of the multiplication factor \(k_{\text{eff}}\). This formalism has inf-sup and sup-inf formulae established by the author. Section 3 is mostly devoted for the considerations of the transport problem (given by (1.1)) with necessary conditions of super-criticality and sub-criticality (the case when \(k_{\text{eff}}<1\)). The last section presents the critical problem for the energy-dependent diffusion model and the explicit bounds for multiplication factor are given.