Interactive computing in numerical modelling of particle transport methods

With ever-increasing compute capability of modern computing systems, the high accuracy simulation of complex phenomena becomes computationally tractable. Although the potential advantages of being able both to simultaneously preview intermediate results, and steer the simulation parameters in real-time, are obvious to all the engineering numerical communities, this demand stays often unsatisfied within actual numerical experiments. A generic, simple, and robust pattern enabling this feature can significantly contribute to widening the scope and the number of interactively steerable applications. In this paper, we describe the extension of our computational steering framework, which once again proves applicable to the diversity of engineering scenarios due to its flexibility and convenience for integration. Namely, with only minor code changes necessary, it makes simulation course interruptible at any point during the program runtime. This is crucial for keeping the relation between the user interaction and its immediate effect transparent. Furthermore, it supports visualisation on the fly, exploiting its possibilities to the full extent, even in the case of very intensive user updates and/or time- and memory-consuming simulations. In this context we present the new integration of the framework into the computationally efficient, high accuracy, geometry independent neutron transport simulation environment, based on AGENT code that enables researchers' and educators' interplay with virtual models of nuclear reactors or their parts, both in 2D and 3D, hence, simultaneous computation and visualisation of the reactor behaviour under a wide variety of conditions.