Education

Research Description

The students in my research group and I conduct applied research in radiation measurement and analysis methods for nuclear security applications, including arms control, safeguards, nonproliferation, counterterrorism, emergency response and forensics. Visit our team's website, http://radians.ne.ncsu.edu/, for an overview of our work. These applications address the full spectrum of problems facing international nuclear security, from helping sovereign nations transparently monitor and control SNM production, use, storage, movement, and disposition to deterring the use of those materials in weapons, including state-sponsored weapons and improvised nuclear devices (INDs) and radiological dispersion devices (RDDs) devised by would-be nuclear terrorists. In other words, I’m interested in developing technologies that help maintain openness and security across the entire lifecycle of nuclear materials, in order to enable the continuing development of peaceful applications of nuclear materials while safeguarding against their surreptitious or open use for war or terrorism. I need the help of students and post-docs with skill and interest in the following areas: Gamma spectroscopy measurement systems Neutron multiplicity and fast time-correlation measurement systems Neutron and gamma radiation imaging systems Advanced digital signal processing techniques for radiation detector data acquisition and analysis Coupled neutron and gamma radiation transport models, including stochastic and deterministic models I invite students and postdoctoral scholars with skill and interest in experimentation and analytical programming for nuclear security applications to contact me.

Publications

A hybrid multi-particle approach to range assessment-based treatment verification in particle therapy

Meric, I., Alagoz, E. B., Hysing, L., Koegler, T., Lathouwers, D., Lionheart, W. R. B., … Ytre-Hauge, K. (2023), SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33777-w

Measurement of Electron-Neutrino Charged-Current Cross Sections on ¹²⁷I with the COHERENT NaIνE Detector

An, P., Awe, C., Barbeau, P. S., Becker, B., Belov, V., Bernardi, I., … Zderic, A. (2023), PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 131(22). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.221801

COHERENT constraint on leptophobic dark matter using CsI data

Akimov, D., An, P., Awe, C., Barbeau, P. S., Becker, B., Belov, V., … Zettlemoyer, J. (2022), PHYSICAL REVIEW D, 106(5). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.106.052004

Convolution-based frequency domain multiplexing of SiPM readouts using the DRS4 digitizer

Mishra, M., & Mattingly, J. (2022), NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT, 1025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2021.166116

A hierarchical Bayesian model for background variation in radiation source localization

Michaud, I. J., Schmidt, K., Smith, R. C., & Mattingly, J. (2021), NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT, 1002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2021.165288

Radiation Source Localization Using Surrogate Models Constructed from 3-D Monte Carlo Transport Physics Simulations

Miles, P. R., Cook, J. A., Angers, Z. V., Swenson, C. J., Kiedrowski, B. C., Mattingly, J., & Smith, R. C. (2021), NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY, 207(1), 37–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2020.1738796

Recovery of coincident frequency domain multiplexed detector pulses using sequential deconvolution

Mishra, M., & Mattingly, J. (2021), JOURNAL OF INSTRUMENTATION, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/16/03/P03011

Application of Neutron Multiplicity Counting Experiments to Optimal Cross-Section Adjustments

Clark, A. R., Mattingly, J., & Favorite, J. A. (2020), NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, 194(4), 308–333. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2019.1698267

Characterization of stilbene's scintillation anisotropy for recoil protons between 0.56 and 10 MeV

Weldon, R. A., Jr., Mueller, J. M., Awe, C., Barbeau, P., Hedges, S., Li, L., … Mattingly, J. (2020), NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT, 977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2020.164178

Colloquium: Neutrino detectors as tools for nuclear security (vol 92, 011003, 2020)

Bernstein, A., Bowden, N., Goldblum, B. L., Huber, P., Jovanovic, I., & Mattingly, J. (2020, March 12), REVIEWS OF MODERN PHYSICS, Vol. 92. https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.92.011003

View all publications via NC State Libraries

Grants

Advanced Critical and Subcritical Experiments

US Dept. of Energy (DOE)(7/27/22 - 6/01/27)

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Advanced Critical and Subcritical Experiments

Sponsor: US Dept. of Energy (DOE)

Start Date: 7/27/22

End Date: 6/01/27

Abstract

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) requires assistance in the area of the design, execution, and analysis of critical and subcritical experiments. The North Carolina State University (NCSU) Department of Nuclear Engineering (NE) will perform novel research related to a subset of a wide array of projects including the design, execution, and analysis of critical and subcritical experiments.

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Associated Particle Imaging Project

US Dept. of Energy (DOE)(4/07/20 - 12/31/23)

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Associated Particle Imaging Project

Sponsor: US Dept. of Energy (DOE)

Start Date: 4/07/20

End Date: 12/31/23

Abstract

The ultimate objective of the project is to enable identification of materials from measurements using an associated-particle imaging (API) system. The API system is composed of (1) a DT neutron generator source with a pixelated alpha detector capable of recording the time and direction of 14-MeV neutron emissions and (2) an array of fast organic scintillation detectors capable of recording the time-of-arrival, energy deposition, and incoming direction of neutrons and gammas. The time-, energy-, and direction-dependent distribution of neutrons and gammas interacting with the detector array can be analyzed to infer the composition, density, and thickness of materials interposed between the source and detectors.

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Single-Volume Scatter Camera Development

National Nuclear Security Administration(12/06/17 - 10/31/21)

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Single-Volume Scatter Camera Development

Sponsor: National Nuclear Security Administration

Start Date: 12/06/17

End Date: 10/31/21

Abstract

In order for passive neutron imaging to provide value in nuclear security applications, we need to improve on existing systems by making them smaller and more efficient. Sandia is developing a single-volume scatter camera (SVSC), a very compact double-scatter fission-energy neutron imager for localization and characterization of SNM. Neutron imaging can be used for the detection of weak neutron sources, or to characterize the spatial distribution of plutonium or other neutron emitters, providing information that is valuable in arms control and emergency response applications about the fundamental nature of a nuclear explosive. Current neutron imaging systems are large (~2 m3) and heavy, making them difficult to deploy; and their sensitivity is limited by geometrical efficiency and an inherent requirement of distance between the source object and imager. We are therefore working toward a new compact neutron imager, the SVSC, which is easy to transport and deploy, has high efficiency, and can be placed near a threat object to increase sensitivity and spatial resolution.

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Nuclear Safeguards Workshop

US Dept. of Energy (DOE)(2/22/17 - 9/30/17)

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Nuclear Safeguards Workshop

Sponsor: US Dept. of Energy (DOE)

Start Date: 2/22/17

End Date: 9/30/17

Abstract

North Carolina State University (NCSU) students enrolled in the graduate course NE541: Nuclear Nonproliferation Technology and Policy will travel to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to tour ORNL and associated facilities and receive hands-on training in the ORNL Safeguards Lab. The NCSU NE541 course and the ORNL workshop were jointly developed by NCSU and ORNL to support the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) Next-Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) Human Capital Development (HCD) program. The ORNL workshop is an integral component of NE541. During the workshop, students will tour several facilities, including the Oak Ridge Graphite Reactor (ORGR), High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC), Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), and the Canberra high-purity germanium manufacturing facility. Students will also receive hands-on training from ORNL scientists on measurement methods for characterizing special nuclear material.

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Characterization of Organic Scintillator Response to Fast Neutrons for Detection and Identification of Special Nuclear Material

University Global Partnership Network (UGPN)(7/01/15 - 5/31/16)

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Characterization of Organic Scintillator Response to Fast Neutrons for Detection and Identification of Special Nuclear Material

Sponsor: University Global Partnership Network (UGPN)

Start Date: 7/01/15

End Date: 5/31/16

Abstract

Surrey and NCSU jointly propose to “combine forces” to advance their complementary research by sending a Surrey Master of Physics (MPhys) student to NCSU for eleven months to study fast neutron detection applied to the detection and identification of SNM. The Surrey MPhys student will work with NCSU’s RADIANS (radiation detection applications in nuclear security) research group under the joint supervision of Prof. John Mattingly (of NCSU) and Prof. Paul Sellin (of Surrey). In particular, the Surrey MPhys student will work with the NCSU RADIANS group, Surrey’s Physics department, and the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL, operated by Duke University) to characterize the response of a new organic scintillation material to fast neutrons.

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Design, Evaluation, and Testing of a High-Efficiency Single-Volume Neutron Scatter Camera

National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC. (Sandia National Laboratories) (1/30/14 - 9/30/16)

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Design, Evaluation, and Testing of a High-Efficiency Single-Volume Neutron Scatter Camera

Sponsor: National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC. (Sandia National Laboratories)

Start Date: 1/30/14

End Date: 9/30/16

Abstract

North Carolina State University (NCSU) Department of Nuclear Engineering (NE) will support ongoing efforts at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to develop a high-efficiency single-volume neutron scatter camera (SVNSC).

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Proposal for a Consortium for Nonproliferation Enabling Capabilities

US Dept. of Energy (DOE)(7/31/14 - 9/30/20)

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Proposal for a Consortium for Nonproliferation Enabling Capabilities

Sponsor: US Dept. of Energy (DOE)

Start Date: 7/31/14

End Date: 9/30/20

Abstract

NC State University, in partnership with University of Michigan, Purdue University, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Kansas State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, NC A&T State University, Los Alamos National Lab, Oak Ridge National Lab, and Pacific Northwest National lab, proposes to establish a Consortium for Nonproliferation Enabling Capabilities (CNEC). The vision of CNEC is to be a pre-eminent research and education hub dedicated to the development of enabling technologies and technical talent for meeting the grand challenges of nuclear nonproliferation in the next decade. CNEC research activities are divided into four thrust areas: 1) Signatures and Observables (S&O); 2) Simulation, Analysis, and Modeling (SAM); 3) Multi-source Data Fusion and Analytic Techniques (DFAT); and 4) Replacements for Potentially Dangerous Industrial and Medical Radiological Sources (RDRS). The goals are: 1) Identify and directly exploit signatures and observables (S&O) associated with special nuclear material (SNM) production, storage, and movement; 2) Develop simulation, analysis, and modeling (SAM) methods to identify and characterize SNM and facilities processing SNM; 3) Apply multi-source data fusion and analytic techniques to detect nuclear proliferation activities; and 4) Develop viable replacements for potentially dangerous existing industrial and medical radiological sources. In addition to research and development activities, CNEC will implement educational activities with the goal to develop a pool of future nuclear non-proliferation and other nuclear security professionals and researchers.

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Consortium for Verification Technology

US Dept. of Energy (DOE)(9/01/14 - 8/31/20)

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Consortium for Verification Technology

Sponsor: US Dept. of Energy (DOE)

Start Date: 9/01/14

End Date: 8/31/20

Abstract

North Carolina State University (NCSU) will collaborate with the other member institutions in the Consortium for Verification Technology (CVT) in two areas: - Subcritical measurements of Category I special nuclear material (SNM) at Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) - Application of new photodetector technology for radiation imaging NCSU will work with the CVT lead university, University of Michigan (UM) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to plan and conduct subcritical experiments with Category I quantities of SNM in the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) at NNSS. NCSU will construct a prototype single-volume neutron scatter camera (SVNSC) using an organic scintillator detection medium (one suitable for neutron/gamma classification using pulse shape discrimination (PSD)) and a pair MCP photomultipliers. The data acquisition (DAQ) system will be constructed using commercially available VME-based 500 MS/s digitizers. In the first phase of development and testing, the SVNSC prototype will use low-resolution (5 mm × 5 mm) MCP photomultipliers (to keep the number of channels that have to be digitized small). In the second phase, the SVNSC photodetector will be upgraded to use high-resolution (1 mm × 1 mm) photodetectors. NCSU will also perform coupled MCNPX-PoliMi / Geant4 simulations of neutron and gamma transport and optical photon transport to model SVNSC performance and test alternative kinematic reconstruction algorithms. The coupled MCNPX-PoliMi/Geant4 models will be validated against experiments conducted with the phase I and phase II prototype SVNSCs. The validated models will be used to project how well the SVNSC would perform for SNM detection using a high-resolution, fast, large-area MCP-based photodetector like the LAPPD.

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XSEDE Startup Account Application: Development of an Inverse Radiation Transport Modeler's Toolkit

National Science Foundation (NSF)(7/01/13 - 6/30/14)

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XSEDE Startup Account Application: Development of an Inverse Radiation Transport Modeler's Toolkit

Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Start Date: 7/01/13

End Date: 6/30/14

Abstract

The XSEDE startup account would specically be used to verify and validate Den- ovo's ASAP implementation on the benchmark experiment presented in the unclas- sied Sandia Report - \Polyethylene-Re ected Plutonium Metal Sphere: Subcritical Neutron and Gamma Measurements", Mattingly, September 2009 - where the neu- tron and photon count rates at specied distances from a plutonium source were measured. The verication and validation of the implementation will be performed at a variety of spatial, angular, and energy discretizations. We currently estimate roughly 100 billion degrees of freedom to obtain consistency with the experiment, requiring nearly 800 gigabytes of working memory. This will require at least 700 cores on Kraken to store the problem state, and additional cores to store the Krylov vectors used by Denovo's Trilinos-based GMRES routine. After verication and validation on this benchmark we will apply for a Research Allocation to use the im- plementation on additional benchmark experiments in support of the development of the inverse methods toolkit.

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Fission Physics Parameter Estimation and Uncertainty Quantification

National Science Foundation (NSF)(7/01/13 - 6/30/14)

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Fission Physics Parameter Estimation and Uncertainty Quantification

Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Start Date: 7/01/13

End Date: 6/30/14

Abstract

The properties of fissionable materials that govern the propagation of fission chain-reactions are known, but they are only known inexactly and imprecisely. In practice, fission physics parameters like the fission cross-section, neutron spectrum, and neutron multiplicity (the average number of neutrons from fission) are adjusted from the original, experimentally measured values so that calculations match benchmark integral experiments. [1] In general, the parameters are adjusted so that calculations match some observed response, e.g., a measurement made with a neutron detector. Nuclear data evaluation employs fairly sophisticated sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification (SA/UQ) methods. These methods are designed to adjust parameters according to the sensitivity of the computed response to the parameters while constraining the adjustments according to the uncertainty in the parameters and the experiment. However, in some cases, parameter values are adjusted beyond their uncertainty when SA indicates it is necessary. In addition, in many cases parameter adjustment is based on a fairly limited set of critical experiments, i.e., experiments that assemble fissionable material to a state where it can sustain fission chain-reactions indefinitely. In this case, the computed response is the calculated criticality eigenvalue k-effective, which is identically equal to one for a critical assembly. The reasoning behind relying primarily on critical experiments is simple: when the assembly is critical, k-effective is known with effectively no bias and little uncertainty. In contrast, interpretation of subcritical experiments is more challenging: errors and uncertainties in the reported measurement configuration become part of the simulation model, and in turn they induce errors in the computed response. However, there is a much larger population of subcritical experiments available, and even though they pose challenges for nuclear parameter adjustments, there are several new techniques and tools that can be applied to address these challenges. We propose to use the massively scalable radiation transport code Denovo to demonstrate new techniques for neutron transport physics parameter adjustment and uncertainty quantification. [2] We have modified Denovo to implement adjoint sensitivity analysis, propagation of uncertainty, and new data assimilation methods for parameter adjustment. Using our XSEDE startup allocation of 200,000 hours, we have conducted a preliminary analysis of a subcritical experiment with plutonium, which we believe revealed significant errors in the values of the plutonium-239 fission neutron multiplicity. [3],[4] We propose to take this study to its logical conclusion, which will be the first complete application of data assimilation to the analysis of a relevant set of subcritical experiments.

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