McStas (i): Introduction, use, and basic principles for ray-tracing simulations

TL;DR

McStas is a versatile neutron simulation package that employs Monte Carlo ray-tracing principles, with an overview of its implementation, current status, and potential future developments for the neutron research community.

Contribution

This paper introduces McStas, detailing its basic principles, implementation, and current use, providing foundational knowledge for neutron simulation practitioners.

Findings

McStas effectively models neutron ray-tracing simulations.

The package is actively used in the neutron community.

Future development plans aim to enhance its capabilities.

Abstract

We present an overview of, and an introduction to, the general-purpose neutron simulation package McStas. We present the basic principles behind Monte Carlo ray-tracing simulations of neutrons performed in the package and present a few simple examples. We present the implementation of McStas, the status of the package and its use in the neutron community. Finally, we briefly discuss the planned development of the package.