Applied Maths Seminar: Kuncic -- Monte Carlo Radiation Transport: Why Leave it to Chance?

Monte Carlo is an exceptionally powerful numerical integration technique.  It offers
relatively straightforward, indeed sometimes deceptively simple, algorithms for solving
some of the most complex, real-world problems.  One of the most widely used
implementations of the Monte Carlo technique is to solve the Boltzmann transport
equation describing the passage of particles (radiation) through media.  In this talk, I
will present an overview of Monte Carlo radiation transport and its applications, which
range from high-energy astrophysics to medical physics.  I will also discuss two of the
most sophisticated Monte Carlo radiation transport codes currently available and compare
their advantages and limitations.  Finally, I will discuss the future challenges that
lay ahead for Monte Carlo radiation transport modelling of radiobiological effects on
DNA scales.  

http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/AppliedSeminar/abstracts/2008/kuncic.html