On the boundary conditions for the neutron transport equation

Abstract

The solution of the linear transport equation used for the study of neutral particle fields requires the imposition of appropriate boundary conditions. The choice of the conditions to impose for an infinite medium is not straightforward. The question has been given different formulations in the literature with various justifications based on some physical reasoning. Some aspects of the question are here analysed, from both the mathematical and the physical point of view. It is concluded that the inspiring golden rule should be the establishment of conditions that do not require any reference to the properties of the specific medium being considered for their justification.