Applied Physics Seminar | Innovations in Scintillator Detector Technologies for Nuclear Material Monitoring and Verification

In this presentation, I will present emerging solutions in radiation detection for improved characterization and safeguarding of nuclear materials, with an emphasis on special nuclear materials (highly enriched uranium and plutonium). I will showcase recent developments in detection arrays utilizing both organic and inorganic scintillator detectors for neutron and gamma ray multiplicity measurements and radiation imaging.
Specifically, I will highlight detection systems for fast neutron correlation and multiplicity counting, including applications of innovative new scintillators such as organic glass. I will also address the integration of machine learning algorithms and augmented reality to enhance measurement accuracy, precision, and data interpretation.
I will present case studies involving experiments with kg-scale quantities of special nuclear materials, demonstrating the effectiveness of these technologies. Using these advancements, we help develop new methodologies in the monitoring and safeguarding of nuclear materials and reactor cores.

Speaker bio
Professor Sara Pozzi is a leading expert in nuclear engineering at the University of Michigan, in the United States of America, where she and her students research ways to detect and identify nuclear materials to improve nuclear security. As the founder and director of two major research consortia, she leads universities and national laboratories to develop new technology. She has published hundreds of scientific papers, received over 7,100 citations, given over 120 invited talks, and advised more than 30 PhD students. Professor Pozzi serves as President of the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society. She has won many prestigious awards and is recognized as a fellow by several top science organizations around the world, including the American Nuclear Society, the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, and the IEEE.