Modeling neutron count distribution in a subcritical core by stochastic differential equations

As an application of our approach we present a straightforward derivation of the well-known Feynman-Y formula. We then propose an alternative to the traditional sampling scheme of this formula, based on mean absolute deviation, known from the statistics literature to be more robust than the mean square deviation estimator. The study focuses on a single energy point model and neglects the effect of the delayed neutrons. Extensions of the approach to multiple energy levels and the incorporation of delayed neutrons are discussed, as well as further applications of the approach and its advantages over existing diffusion scale approximations.