Elizabeth Kautz
Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering, Joint Faculty Appointment with PNNL
- ekautz@ncsu.edu
- Burlington Laboratory 2156
Dr. Elizabeth Kautz received her B.S. in Materials Engineering in 2010 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY. From 2010-2014 she worked at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL), also known as Naval Nuclear Laboratory, in Niskayuna, NY in a rotational program where she held positions in both materials development and fleet support organizations. In this program, she spent time at a naval shipyard, and the Advanced Test Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory. While at KAPL, she earned her M.S. part-time from RPI in 2014 in Materials Engineering. She then returned to graduate school full-time in 2014, receiving her Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from RPI in 2018. From 2017-2018, she was a Ph.D. Intern at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, WA. After graduation, she was a post doctoral researcher in the National Security Directorate at PNNL from 2018-2020, and a staff scientist in the Energy and Environment Directorate from 2020-2022 prior to joining the NC State faculty. Dr. Kautz holds a joint appointment with PNNL.
Dr. Kautz has contributed to several programs at PNNL funded by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and the Department of Energy (DOE) – Basic Energy Science (BES). She has served (and is currently serving) as a PI for projects funded by the Tritium Modernization Program (NNSA) in which she has investigated topics including: detection of hydrogen and lithium isotopes in metallic and ceramic substrates using laser ablation-optical emission spectroscopy, and hydride formation in Zr-based alloys.
Dr. Kautz has worked with and mentored several graduate and undergraduate students during her career, including participants of DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) and Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) programs.
Education
Materials Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
Materials Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
Materials Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
Research Description
Dr. Kautz studies laser produced plasmas and materials relevant to nuclear energy, defense, forensics, and non-proliferation applications. She studies laser-material interaction, hydrodynamics and chemistry evolution in laser produced plasmas, and materials degradation phenomena in order to develop an understanding of how unique material signatures can be linked to process history and origin.
Publications
- Influence of ambient gas on self-reversal in Li transitions relevant to isotopic analysis
- Kautz, E. J., Xu, A., Harilal, A. V., Polek, M. P., Casella, A. M., Senor, D. J., & Harilal, S. S. (2023), Optics Express. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.477990
- The role of chromium content in aqueous passivation of a non-equiatomic Ni38Fe20CrxMn21-0.5xCo21-0.5x multi-principal element alloy (x = 22, 14, 10, 6 at%) in acidic chloride solution
- Gerard, A. Y., Kautz, E. J., Schreiber, D. K., Han, J., McDonnell, S., Ogle, K., … Scully, J. R. (2023), Acta Materialia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2022.118607
- Chemistry Dependence of Corrosion Mechanisms in Model Binary Metallic Glasses and Correlation with Electron Work Function
- Mahajan, C., Hasannaeimi, V., Pole, M., Kautz, E. J., Gwalani, B., & Mukherjee, S. (2022), SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4011828
- Combined Spatial, Temporal, and Spectral Analysis of Absorption and Emission in a Laser-Produced Plasma
- Phillips, M. C., Kautz, E. J., & Harilal, S. S. (2022), Presented at the 2022 IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS). https://doi.org/10.1109/icops45751.2022.9813007
- Compositional partitioning during early stages of oxidation of a uranium-molybdenum alloy
- Kautz, E. J., Lambeets, S. V., Royer, J., Perea, D. E., Harilal, S. S., & Devaraj, A. (2022), Scripta Materialia, 212, 114528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2022.114528
- Corrosion mechanisms in model binary metallic glass coatings on mild steel and correlation with electron work function
- Mahajan, C., Hasannaeimi, V., Pole, M., Kautz, E., Gwalani, B., & Mukherjee, S. (2022), Corrosion Science, 207, 110578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2022.110578
- Evolutionary History of Atoms and Molecules in Reactive Laser-Produced Plasmas
- Kautz, E. J., Phillips, M. C., Zelenyuk, A., & Harilal, S. S. (2022), Presented at the 2022 IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS). https://doi.org/10.1109/icops45751.2022.9813306
- Gas-phase oxidation and nanoparticle formation in multi-element laser ablation plumes
- Kautz, E. J., Zelenyuk, A., Gwalani, B., Phillips, M. C., & Harilal, S. S. (2022, October 20), PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS, Vol. 10. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2cp02437c
- Investigation of Nanosecond Laser Ablation From Metal Targets
- Polek, M., Kautz, E. J., Harilal, S. S., & Beg, F. N. (2022), Presented at the 2022 IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS). https://doi.org/10.1109/icops45751.2022.9813097
- Optical spectroscopic tools for standoff uranium detection
- Harilal, S. S., Kautz, E. J., & Phillips, M. C. (2022), Presented at the Laser Applications to Chemical, Security and Environmental Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1364/lacsea.2022.ltu4b.1
Grants
- Joint Faculty Appointment between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and NC State University for Dr. Elizabeth Kautz
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory(1/03/23 - 12/31/24)