Code execution overview

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A run of FISPACT-II is controlled by a sequence of commands given in a user-supplied input file as illustrated in the getting started section. Each command is introduced by a keyword which may be followed by integer, real or character-string parameters. Some commands require further data to be supplied in records of the le following the keyword, while other commands are followed by subordinate keywords which cannot be used independently of their parent keyword.

The keywords belong to one of two classes distinguished by their effect on the calculation. Some keywords provide settings such as logical flags and numerical values, while others cause FISPACT-II to perform actions. Depending on the context, the effect of an action keyword may be immediate, or its action may be added to a queue and its execution deferred.

The input file is divided into three sections:

  1. library data preparation -- reading and processing the physical regulatory data supplied in a library of files;
  2. initial conditions -- specifying physical, numerical and housekeeping conditions for a calculation;
  3. inventory calculation phase -- specifying a sequence of timesteps including one or more irradiation steps optionally separated by cooling steps, with further cooling steps optionally following the final irradiation step.

The first section is terminated by the FISPACT keyword and this triggers the execution of the library data preparation actions which have been queued prior to the occurrence of the FISPACT keyword. The actions are queued in the correct order to ensure that any dependences detween them are respected.

The initial conditions section of the input file is terminated by the first occurrence of the TIME keyword, or exceptionally the END keyword for a run that does not involve any inventory calculations. FISPACT-II requires that all initial condition settings are declared before the inventory calculation is started. Not that this is makes some legacy FISPACT-2007 inputs invalid, requiring updates before use.

The final inventory calculation section of the input file is terminated by the END keyword; any further content in the file is ignored. FISPACT-II attaches more significance to the ZERO keyword than did FISPACT-2007. ZERO may now occur at most once and it triggers the calculation of pathways, routes, sensitivities and uncertainties.

The relevant keywords for each section of the input file are presented in the FISPACT-II keywords page. This page links to all of the individual pages for each of the keyword definitions. Some keywords are used in more than one of these sections, and in some cases their actions differ depending on the section. In looking up the meaning of a keyword, first determine which section of the input file it is being used, then look up the relevant definition.