Graduate - Nuclear Engineering Department

Interaction of gamma rays, neutrons, and charged particles with matter, nuclear structure and radioactive decay, cross sections and energetics of nuclear reactions, nuclear fission and the fission products, fission and fusion reactions as energy sources. Offered even-numbered years. (Spring) Norman » read more

Physical aspects and computer simulation of radiation damage in metals. Void swelling and irradiation creep. Mechanical analysis of structures under irradiation. Sputtering, blistering and hydrogen behavior in fusion reactor materials. Offered odd-numbered years. (Spring) Olander » read more

Structural metals in nuclear power plants, properties and fabrication of Zircaloy, aqueous corrosion of reactor components, structural integrity of reactor components under combined mechanical loading, neutron irradiation, and chemical environment. Offered even-numbered years. (Spring) Olander » read more

Multi-barrier concept; ground water hydrology, mathematical modeling of mass transport in heterogeneous media, source term for far-field model, near-field chemical environment, radionuclide release from waste solids, modeling of radionuclide transport in the near field, effect of temperature on repository performance, effect of water flow, effect of geochemical conditions, effect of engineered barrier alteration, overall performance assessment, performance index, uncertainty associated with assessment, regulation and standards. (Spring) Ahn » read more

Foundation in nuclear fuel cycle with topics ranging from nuclear-fuel reprocessing to waste treatment and final disposal. The emphasis is on the relationship between nuclear-power utilization and its environmental impacts. The goal is for graduate engineering students to gain sufficient understanding in how nuclear-power utilization affects the environment, so that they are better prepared to design an advanced system that would result in minimized environmental impact. The lectures will consist of two parts. The first half includes mathematical models for individual processes in a fuel cycle, such as nuclear fuel reprocessing, waste solidification, repository performance, and nuclear transmutation in a nuclear reactor. In the second half, these individual models are integrated, which enables students to evaluate environmental impact of a fuel cycle. (Alternate Spring semesters) Ahn » read more

Laboratory and Lecture. Use of nuclear measurement techniques to detect clandestine movement and/or possession of nuclear materials by third parties. Nuclear detection, forensics, signatures, and active and passive interrogation methodologies will be explored. Techniques currently deployed for arms control and treaty verification will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on common elements of detection technology from the viewpoint of resolution of threat signatures from false positives due to naturally occurring radioactive material. Laboratory will involve experiments conducted in the Nucleonics Laboratory featuring passive and active neutron signals, gamma ray detection, fission neutron multiplicity, and U and Pu isotopic identification and age determination. Students should be familiar with alpha, beta, gamma and neutron radiation and basic concepts of nuclear fission. (Spring) Morse

Engineering 117 recommended. Fission characteristics, neutron chain reactions, neutron transport and diffusion theory, reactor kinetics, multigroup methods, fast and thermal spectrum calculations, inhomogeneous reactor design, effects of poisons and fuel depletion Offered odd-numbered years. (Spring) Vujic » read more

Computational methods used to analyze nuclear reactor systems described by various differential, integral, and integro-differential equations. Numerical methods include: finite difference, finite elements, discrete ordinate, and Monte Carlo. Examples from neutron and photon transport, heat transfer and thermal hydraulics. An overview of optimization techniques for solving the resulting discrete equations on vector and parallel computer systems. (Fall) Vujic » read more

Fluid dynamics and heat transfer, thermal and hydraulic analysis of nuclear reactors, two-phase flow and boiling; compressible flow, stress analysis; energy conversion methods. Offered even-numbered years. (Fall) Peterson » read more

Principles and techniques of economic analysis to determine capital and operating costs, fuel management and fuel cycle optimization, thermal limits on reactor performance, thermal converters, and fast breeders; control and transient problems, reactor safety and licensing, release of radioactivity from reactors and fuel processing plants. Offered even-numbered years. (Fall) Greenspan » read more

Principles and methods used in safety evaluation of complex engineered systems with principle emphasis on fission and fusion nuclear power plants. Safety philosophies regarding design, siting, operation and regulation. Deterministic and probabilistic models and methods, including seismic safety, fires and system stability. (Spring) Peterson » read more

Principles and methods for assessing and managing technological risks. Probabilistic safety assessment, environmental and public health risk assessment, risk-based decision making and risk-based regulation. Application to aerospace, chemical, energy, environmental, manufacturing and nuclear systems, with consideration of institutional issues. Offered odd-numbered years. (Fall) Peterson » read more

Engineering and design of fusion systems. Introduction to controlled thermonuclear fusion as an energy economy, from the standpoint of the physics and technology involved. Case studies of fusion reactor design. Engineering principles of support technology for fusion systems. Offered even-numbered years. (Spring) Morse » read more

Introduction to warm and hot magnetized plasmas. Single partial motion in electric and magnetic fields. Collective particle oscillations, waves and instabilities. Magnetohydrodynamic equilibria, stability and transport. Magnetically confined plasmas for controlled fusion. Space plasmas. Offered odd-numbered years. (Spring) Morse » read more

Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: Graduate standing, NE 180 or equivalent. Topics in this course will include the latest technology of various types of ion and electron sources, extraction and formation of charge particle beams, computer simulation of beam propagation, diagnostics of ion sources and beams, and the applications of beams in fusion, synchrotron light source, neutron generation, microelectronics, lithography, and medical therapy. This is a general accelerator technology and engineering course that will be of interest to graduate students in physics, electrical engineering, and nuclear engineering. (Fall) Leung » read more

Three hours lab/discussion per week. Prerequisites: Must be enrolled in NE 282 . Optional laboratory designed to accompany NE 282. Ion and electron source operation and beam formation will be demonstrated experimentally. Lab sessions will be held at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory(Fall) Leung » read more

This course will cover the fundamentals of subsurface nuclear technology and its applications to 1) infer the porosity, the density, elemental composition and fluid saturation of subsurface media; 2) identify fluid movement in reservoirs, 3) determine fluid characteristics in complex fluid regimes, and 4) perform borehole diagnostics, using neutron and photon measurement and simulation techniques. Application of computational methods will also be covered. (Spring) Vujic, Badruzzaman » read more

Six hours of lecture per week in the summer. This course introduces the fundamental concepts for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of mathematical models of physical, engineering, biological, etc, processes. Being self-contained, the course also provides a review of the mathematical tools needed for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, assembled from linear algebra, differential and integral equations, numerical methods, operators and differential calculus in vector spaces. (Summer) Cacuci » read more

This course is intended for graduate students interested in acquiring a foundation in uncertainties associated with safety assessment for geologic disposal of high-level radioactive wastes and spent nuclear fuels. The safety assessment for the geologic disposal system for high-level radioactive wastes needs to cover a time period of 10,000 years or longer, and to take into account heterogeneities observed in geologic formations. Understanding the nature of uncertainties in the assessment results is a key to making right decisions in radioactive waste management. The goal is for graduate engineering students to gain sufficient understanding of how the uncertainties can be quantitatively evaluated. (Fall) Ahn » read more

This course introduces the fundamentals of plasma simulation methods, focusing on particle methods. The course will include treatment of electrostatic and electromagnetic models in the classical and relativistic regimes for collisional and collisionless plasmas. Emphasis is on bounded plasmas, including models for field and particle interaction with boundaries. Fluid and Monte Carlo collision models will be addressed. Applications will be drawn from basic plasma physics, beams, low temperature plasmas (e.g. lighting, materials processing, thrusters) and high temperature plasmas (magnetic fusion), wave-particle interactions (microwave sources, laser-plasma interactions, accelerators). (Summer) Verboncoeur » read more

This course is intended for graduate students interested in acquiring a foundation in the scientific and regulatory basis for environmental safety for nuclear fuel cycles. As we mark significant progress with nuclear fuel cycles, we need to establish in parallel the technical capability to regulate the fuel-cycle facilities for safety, security, and environmental protection for the public. In particular, the nuclear fuel cycle will require the design, construction and operation of facilities, containing plutonium and minor actinides, for spent fuel reprocessing, for fuel fabrication, for transportation, and for fabrication and storage of nuclear waste packages. As avoidance of environmental contamination is of paramount importance for public safety, it is essential to expose the new generation of nuclear engineers to the environmental safety fundamentals including regulations, and equip them with basic computational capability. (Fall) Ahn » read more

Comprehensive introduction to charged particle accelerator systems with high space charge intensity. Provides a foundation for research and design of systems with intensities sufficiently high so that mutual interactions of the particles in a beam focused and accelerated by applied electric and magnetic fields can not be neglected. Methodologies systematically developed by applying dynamics, electromagnetic theory, and plasma physics. Appropriate for students in engineering and physics. (Spring) Verboncoeur » read more

One and one-half hours of lecture per week. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. » read more

Course may be repeated for credit. One and one-half hours of seminar per week. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. » read more

Course may be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. Investigation of advanced nuclear engineering problems. (Fall, Spring) Staff » read more

Course may be repeated for credit. Course does not satisfy unit or residence requirements for doctoral degree. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. » read more