Brightify: A tool for calculating directionally-resolved brightness in neutron sources

TL;DR

Brightify is an open-source Python tool that calculates directionally-resolved neutron source brightness from Monte Carlo simulation data, enabling precise hotspot identification and source optimization.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, efficient method for calculating localized, directionally-resolved brightness directly from MCPL files, improving upon traditional tally approaches.

Findings

Validated against standard methods with high accuracy

Enables localized, directionally-resolved brightness analysis

Reduces computational effort in neutron source optimization

Abstract

Brightness is a critical metric for optimizing the design of neutron sources and beamlines, yet there is no direct way to calculate brightness within most Monte Carlo packages used for neutron source simulation. In this paper, we present Brightify, an open-source Python-based tool designed to calculate brightness from Monte Carlo Particle List (MCPL) files, which can be extracted from several Monte Carlo simulation packages. Brightify provides an efficient computational approach to calculate brightness for any particle type and energy spectrum recorded in the MCPL file. It enables localized, directionally-resolved brightness evaluations by scanning across both spatial and angular domains, facilitating the identification of positions and directions corresponding to maximum brightness. This functionality is particularly valuable for identifying brightness hotspots and helping fine-tune the design of neutron sources for optimal performance. We validate Brightify against standard methods, such as surface current tally and point estimator tally, and demonstrate its accuracy and adaptability, particularly in high-resolution analyses. By overcoming the limitations of traditional methods, Brightify streamlines neutron source re-optimization, reduces computational burden, and accelerates source development workflows. The full code is available on the Brightify GitHub repository.