Radiation Transport and Reactor Physics focuses on the development and application of advanced methods for the transport of neutral and charged particles, as well as the simulation of systems containing radiation or radioactive materials. This may involve hybrid Monte Carlo/deterministic transport methods for reactor physics and thermal radiative transfer, and designing reactor cores for innovative small commercial power reactors. Other applications include advanced deterministic transport algorithms for radiation detection, shielding, and nuclear forensics.
Nuclear criticality safety is another focus within this area, involving the design and neutronic analysis of storage and transportation facilities for spent fuel and weapons materials. The research extends to general neutronics studies of nuclear reactors, covering both the steady state and transient behavior of reactors. This includes examining the reactivity effects of control rods and fuel, determining nuclear reaction cross sections, and analyzing the overall behavior of reactors under various operational conditions.