Development of an Object-Oriented Interface to an Enhanced EGS Monte Carlo Code

152 Development of an Object-Oriented Interface to an Enhanced EGS Monte Carlo Code--Quantum Research Services, Inc., 5410 Apex Highway, Suite W, Durham, NC 27713-9434; (919) 544-4952 Dr. A. M. Yacout, Principal Investigator Ms. Karen E. J. Dunn, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-97ER82465 Amount: $75,000 Some computer software for charged particle beam optical systems, accelerator systems, and accelerator components needs to be modernized by incorporating user-friendly interfaes or rewriting the codes themselves in computer programming languages currently in widespread use. For example, the Electron-Gamma Shower (EGS) Monte Carlo code, developed more than 20 years ago for use in design of high-energy accelerators and detectors, enjoys widespread use around the world for electron and photon transport calculations. However, the latest formal version, EGS4, was released over a decade ago and requires that users write their own FORTRAN geometry and scoring subroutines. The Phase I project seeks to design, develop, test, and document an object-oriented interface to a new version of the EGS code that incorporates several physics enhancements. The interface, which will be written in the C++ language, will simplify code input and output, incorporate a geometry-generation capability, and facilitate user interaction with the code. The interface development will be coordinated with collaborators at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The interface will be expanded and tested in Phase II, and both Microsoft Windows and UNIX versions will be produced. A special feature allowing users to access the code on the Internet is planned so that users can run problems on remote supercomputers and workstations. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: An enhanced version of the EGS user code that incorporates the object-oriented interface will be made available through the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. An easier-to-use EGS would be more accessible to inexperienced users and increase its value to seasoned users. EGS is already widely used around the world; construction of a sophisticated interface and extension of its physics capabilities will attract more users and establish new applications that share a common problem in electron and photon transport.