Title:

Research Studies to Support Nuclear Nonproliferation and Beyond: Improved Light Collection For Inorganic Scintillators by Using Repetitive Nanostructures and Epithermal-neutron Activation Analysis

Speaker:

Dr. Marek Flaska

Affiliation:

Pennsylvania State University

When:

Thursday, November 30, 2023 at 11:00:00 AM   Add to Calendar

Where:

Boggs Building, Room 3-47

Host:

Chris Wang
chris.wang@nre.gatech.edu

Abstract

The first part of the talk will focus on current activities for developing a unique set of nanotechnology techniques based on repetitive 2-D photonic crystal structures to improve light transport and collection for existing and new-generation inorganic scintillation detectors, thereby improving their sensitivity, energy resolution, and time resolution. Photonic crystals can enhance, under specific conditions, the light collection from a scintillator through constructive light interference. Such improvements in light collection are especially important for high-refractive-index, non-conventionally shaped, flexible, conformal, or structural scintillation-based detectors for various applications, including the nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and fundamental nuclear physics. The second part of the talk will highlight a project to identify and utilize the most unique nuclear-forensic signatures based on neutron activation related to the nuclear fuel cycle. For this purpose, a mechanical TOF neutron chopper system has been proposed for the PSU’s research reactor. The proposed instrument based on two mechanical-chopper systems will allow neutrons to be isolated along a beamline within the energy range of 0.5-40 eV and with the energy resolution of 2%. This first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary, shared-user, epithermal-neutron instrument will be sensitive to a wide range of isotopes of many elements for materials science, chemistry, biochemistry, electrical engineering, computer science, medicine, physics, mechanical engineering, and nuclear engineering research & education.

Biography

Dr. Marek Flaska is an associate department head and associate professor of Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU). His research interests include radiation detection, characterization, and imaging with focus on nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear safeguards, nuclear forensics, fundamental nuclear physics, and health physics. Dr. Flaska has been actively working in these fields since 2006, and he joined PSU in 2015. Regarding his teaching activities, he is in charge of several PSU undergraduate- and graduate-level courses focused on nuclear nonproliferation and safeguards, radiation detection, health physics, and nuclear and particle physics.

Notes

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