pointkinetics
Point kinetics is a simplified modeling approach in reactor physics used to describe the time dependence of neutron population in a nuclear reactor. It treats the reactor as a single, spatially averaged system (a “point”) and assumes that the neutron flux shape remains effectively constant while the overall intensity changes. This allows rapid analysis of transient behavior after disturbances such as reactivity insertions or control actions.
The core of point kinetics are the point-kinetics equations, which describe the rate of change of the
dn/dt = [(ρ(t) − β)/Λ] n(t) + ∑ λ_i C_i(t)
dC_i/dt = (β_i/Λ) n(t) − λ_i C_i(t)
In these equations, ρ(t) is the reactivity (a dimensionless measure of the departure from criticality), Λ is
Uses and limitations: Point kinetics is widely used for quick transient analyses, safety assessments, and training