The Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering provides undergraduate and graduate education for students interested in developing peaceful applications of nuclear science and engineering. This is an exciting time to study nuclear science and engineering: society's interest in, and need for, a clean energy source such as nuclear energy is at a 20-year high. The applications of other nuclear technologies in medicine and industry have focused attention on the value of a strong nuclear science and engineering program. In response to this demand, the department has developed a discipline-focused program of study that prepares students for the many diverse applications of nuclear science and technology. Applied nuclear science is the core discipline, underlying all these applications, that includes low energy nuclear physics, the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, and plasma science and technology.
The department's view of nuclear science and engineering is manifest in our unified core curriculum for all our graduate students and our discipline-based undergraduate program. Once the core material is mastered, students can select from a wide variety of applications through more specialized subjects.
Applications fall within three main subcategories: nuclear energy, plasma physics and fusion technology, and the broad area of nuclear science and technology. In keeping with MIT's longstanding contributions to the well-being of the nation, the department aims to educate the individuals who will make the key scientific and engineering advances in these societally important fields. Each of the three basic research areas involves substantial faculty and student activities. A synopsis of these activities follows.
Nuclear Energy. Nuclear reactors, powered by the fissioning of heavy elements such as uranium, have many applications. These include the generation of electricity, process heat and hydrogen, the propulsion of submarines and ships, the generation of on-board space-craft power for deep space exploration, the transmutation of long-lived radioactive elements, and the production of radioisotopes for medical and other biological and industrial applications.
The generation of electricity by nuclear power is probably the most familiar application. In some countries, the fraction of electricity obtained from nuclear power is greater than 80 percent. In the United States, it is about 20 percent. Concerns about the unreliability of fossil fuel supplies and the need for new domestic supplies of electricity have led to a resurgence of interest in the design of advanced nuclear reactors. Nuclear reactors emit no greenhouse gases and therefore represent a highly attractive and realistic option for reducing the pollution that is causing global climate change.
The safe and economical development, design, construction, and operation of nuclear power plants and their related nuclear fuel recycling facilities is a major field of engineering. Future Nuclear Science and Engineering research goals are focused on: developing new advanced nuclear reactor designs that include passive safety features; developing innovative new proliferation-resistant fuel cycles; extending the life of nuclear fuels and structures; and reducing the capital and operating costs of nuclear power stations. The goal is to make nuclear power the most economical, safe, and environmentally friendly way of generating electricity, thereby making a major contribution to our energy independence and a sustainable global climate.
The Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering is also an active participant in MIT's interdisciplinary programs of instruction and research in the management of complex technological systems and technology and public policy. This is a growing and important area, since policy makers need more effective tools in assessing complex systems and human behavior.
Plasma Physics and Fusion Technology. A different source of nuclear energy results from the controlled fusion of light elements, hydrogen and its isotopes in particular. Since the basic source of fuel for fusion can be easily and inexpensively extracted from the ocean, the supply is virtually inexhaustible. Fusion reactions can only readily occur in a fully ionized plasma heated to super high temperatures (150 million K). Such hot plasmas cannot be contained by material walls and are usually confined instead by strong magnetic fields. Recent progress within the international fusion community increases the likelihood that controlled fusion will become a practical source of energy within the next half-century. Attainment of a fusion power plant involves the solution of many intellectually challenging physics and engineering problems. Included among these challenges are: a mastery of the sophisticated field of plasma physics; the discovery of improved magnetic geometries to enhance plasma confinement; the development of materials capable of withstanding high stresses and exposure to intense radiation; and the need for great engineering ingenuity in integrating fusion power components into a practical, safe, and economical system. The department has strong programs in plasma fundamentals, materials for intense radiation fields, and engineering of fusion systems.
The fundamentals of plasmas also underlie novel methods for treatment of toxic gases, magnetohydrodynamic energy conversion, and ion propulsion, all topics of interest in the department. Students concentrating on applied plasma physics are trained not only to contribute to the advancement of controlled fusion but also to apply their knowledge in current industrial applications. In these plasma programs, the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering is an active participant in MIT's broad, interdepartmental program of research and instruction in plasma physics and its varied applications.
Nuclear Science and Technology. The department's nuclear science and technology program is concerned with the continued development of low energy nuclear science and its application to fields such as medicine and biology, information processing, materials research, industrial processes, and radiation detection.
Bionuclear science and engineering utilizes nuclear processes in a variety of ways that impact medicine and biology. For example, nuclear radiation can be used as a medical diagnostic tool through a variety of imaging techniques. It can also be used for therapy: the boron-neutron interaction is being used to treat various forms of brain cancer. Research is under way to apply this treatment to other types of cancer and to rheumatoid arthritis.
Nuclear science and engineering (such as fission and fusion) has traditionally dealt with random processes, for which only the statistics can be controlled. A new frontier in nuclear science and engineering is to precisely control the quantum mechanical wave function of atomic and subatomic systems. Thus far, this has been achieved only in low energy processes, particularly nuclear magnetic resonance, a form of nuclear spectroscopy which has allowed the basic techniques needed for quantum control to be explored in unprecedented detail. The department has initiated an ambitious program in this area, which promises to be widely applicable in nanotechnology. The ultimate achievement would be the construction of a "quantum computer," which would be capable of solving problems that are far beyond the capacities of classical computers. Other significant applications are quantum-enabled sensors and actuators, secure communication, and the direct simulation of quantum physics.
A cross-cutting area of research in the department involves the area of nuclear materials research. Understanding how radiation interacts with biological materials is a major interest in the nuclear science and technology program. However, materials also are critical in the nuclear power and fusion programs. Here, in order to achieve the full potential of nuclear energy from either fission or fusion reactors, it is necessary to develop special materials capable of withstanding intense radiation for long periods of time. It is also crucial to understand the phenomenon of corrosion in a radiation environment.
Nuclear science and engineering makes important contributions to a wide range of industrial applications. For example, nuclear techniques are being used and developed for the rapid, non-intrusive inspection of aircraft baggage and cargo. Nuclear techniques have been used to develop a non-invasive solidification sensor for the metal casting industry, a sensor of great practical quality control and economic importance. Nuclear technologies have been used to eliminate E. coli bacteria from food and anthrax from our mail system.
The Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering's undergraduate program offers a strong foundation in science-based engineering, providing the skills and knowledge for a broad range of technical careers. The nuclear energy industry is experiencing a major resurgence world-wide, leading to high demand for nuclear engineers. Other nuclear and radiation applications are increasingly important in medicine, industry, and government. The program provides fundamental knowledge both in engineering, including thermodynamics and thermal-hydraulics, electronics, and computer methods, and in sciences—for example, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, and radiation generation and interactions. Building upon these fundamentals, students understand the principles, design, and appropriate application of nuclear systems—for example, reactors, imaging systems, detectors, and plasma confinement. In addition, they develop professional skills in quantitative research, written and oral technical communication, team building, and leadership. The program is excellent preparation for subsequent graduate education and research.
The department offers one undergraduate program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering, Course 22, which is normally completed in four years.
A characteristic of the curriculum is to develop practical skills through hands-on education. This is accomplished through a laboratory course on radiation physics, measurement, and protection (22.09), and through the laboratory components and exercises in electronics (22.071), imaging (22.058), and computational courses. The concept of hands-on learning is continued with a 12-unit design course focusing on nuclear systems and a 12-unit undergraduate thesis that is normally organized between the student and a faculty member of the department. Thesis subjects can touch on any area of nuclear science and engineering, including nuclear energy applications (fission and fusion) and nuclear science and technology (medical, physical, chemical and material applications).
Additional information may be obtained from the student's departmental advisor or from the department's Academic Office (Room 24-102).
The Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering prepares students for careers in the design, analysis, and operation of fission reactors, in various applications of radiation, and for graduate study in a wide range of engineering and physical sciences.
The Course 22 degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
Subject requirements and options are described in the preceding paragraphs and chart. A bachelor's degree thesis of 12 units is required.
The requirements for a Minor in Nuclear Science and Engineering are as follows:
|
Students must complete a total of six subjects, including 8.03 and 18.03 as prerequisites to departmental subjects. The subjects should constitute a coherent program built on the core courses: | |
| 22.01 | |
Introduction to Ionizing Radiation |
| 22.02 | |
Introduction to Applied Nuclear Physics |
|
and include two of the following: | |
| 22.05 | |
Neutron Science and Reactor Physics |
| 22.06 | |
Engineering of Nuclear Systems |
| 22.058 | |
Principles of Tomographic Imaging |
| 22.09 | |
Principles of Nuclear Radiation Measurement and Protection |
The department's minor advisor will ensure that each minor program forms a coherent group of subjects.
The five-year programs leading to a joint Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Science and Engineering, or Physics and a Master of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering are helpful to students who, early in their undergraduate studies, decide to pursue a graduate degree in nuclear science and engineering. Students desiring to enter such a program must meet the graduate admission requirements of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and submit their applications for admission at the end of their junior year. If admitted, the student arranges a program with the registration officers of the two participating departments.
The nuclear science and engineering thesis requirements of the two degrees may be satisfied either by completing both an SB thesis and an SM thesis, or by completing an SM thesis and any 12 units of undergraduate credit.
For further information, interested students should contact either their undergraduate department or the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering.
Further information on undergraduate programs, admissions, and financial aid may be obtained from the department's Academic Office, Room 24-102, MIT, 617-258-5682.
The nuclear science and engineering profession is broad and many undergraduate disciplines provide suitable preparations for graduate study. While the graduate program splits into three areas after the initial core set of courses, many incoming students change their area of interest after joining the program. The Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering is dedicated to attracting a diverse class of well-prepared engineers and scientists.
An undergraduate degree in physics, engineering physics, chemistry, mathematics, metallurgy, or chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, or nuclear science and engineering can provide a foundation for graduate study in nuclear science and engineering. Optimum undergraduate preparation would include the following:
Physics—at least three introductory courses covering classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and wave phenomena. An introduction to quantum mechanics is quite helpful, and an advanced course in electricity and magnetism (including a description of time-dependent fields via Maxwell's equations) is recommended for those wishing to specialize in fusion.
Mathematics—it is essential that incoming students have a solid understanding of mathematics, including the study and application of ordinary differential equations. It is highly recommended that students also have studied partial differential equations and linear algebra.
Chemistry—at least one term of general, inorganic, and physical chemistry.
Engineering fundamentals—the graduate curriculum builds on a variety of engineering skills, and incoming students are expected to have had an introduction to thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, electronics and measurement, and computation and numerical methods. A subject covering the mechanics of materials is recommended, particularly for students wishing to specialize in fission.
Laboratory experience is essential. This may have been achieved through an organized course, and ideally was supplemented with an independent undergraduate research activity or a design project.
Applicants for admissions are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
The object of the master of science program is to give the student a good general knowledge of nuclear science and engineering and to provide a foundation either for productive work in the nuclear field or for more advanced graduate study. The general requirements for the SM degree are listed under Graduate Education in Part 1. Subject 22.101 Applied Nuclear Physics or its equivalent is required for all master of science degree candidates.
Other subjects may be selected in accordance with the student's particular field of interest. Most master of science candidates specialize in one of three alternative fields: fission nuclear technology, applied plasma physics, or nuclear science and technology. Detailed descriptions of the subjects available in each of these areas may be found in the Course 22 listings in Part 3.
Students with adequate undergraduate preparation normally need 18 months to two years to complete the requirements for the master of science. Additional information concerning the requirements for the Master of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering, including lists of recommended subjects, may be obtained from the department's Academic Office, Room 24-102.
The Master of Science in Technology and Policy is an engineering research degree with a strong focus on the role of technology in policy analysis and formulation. The Technology and Policy Program (TPP) curriculum provides a solid grounding in technology and policy by combining advanced subjects in the student's chosen technical field with courses in economics, politics, and law. Many students combine TPP's curriculum with complementary subjects to obtain dual degrees in TPP and either a specialized branch of engineering or an applied social science such as political science or urban studies and planning. For additional information, see the program description under Engineering Systems Division or visit http://tppserver.mit.edu/.
The program of study leading to the nuclear engineer's degree provides deeper knowledge of nuclear science and engineering than is possible in the master's program and is intended to train students for creative professional careers in engineering application or design.
The general requirements for this degree, as described under Graduate Education in Part 1, include 162 units of subject credit plus a thesis. Each student must plan an individually selected program of study, approved in advance by the faculty advisor, and must complete, and orally defend, a substantial project of significant value.
The objectives of the program are to provide the candidate with a broad knowledge of the profession and to develop competence in engineering applications or design. The emphasis in the program is more applied and less research-oriented than the doctoral program.
The engineering project required of all candidates for the nuclear engineer's degree is generally the subject of an engineer's thesis. A student with full undergraduate preparation normally needs two years to complete the program. A student who satisfies the requirements for the engineer's degree is simultaneously approved for the SM by the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering. Additional information may be obtained from the department.
The program of study leading to either the doctor of philosophy or the doctor of science degree aims to give a comprehensive knowledge of nuclear science and engineering, to develop competence in advanced engineering research, and to develop a sense of perspective in assessing the role of nuclear science and technology in our society.
General requirements for the doctorate are described under Graduate Education in Part 1 and in the Graduate School Policy and Procedures Manual. The specific requirements of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering are the math and physics competency requirement, the engineering requirement, the general examination, the core/major/minor program requirement, and the doctoral thesis.
Upon satisfactory completion of the requirements, the student ordinarily receives a PhD unless he or she requests an ScD. The requirements for both degrees are the same.
Students admitted for the master of science or nuclear engineer's degree must apply to the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering's Admissions Committee for admission to the doctoral program.
Students admitted for a doctoral degree must complete the math and physics competency requirement and the engineering requirement prior to taking the general examination. Before starting doctoral research, each student is required to pass a general examination whose purpose is to establish intellectual potential as well as breadth and depth of knowledge. The general exam has two sections: a written component and an oral component. Both components must be passed in order to register for doctoral thesis credit.
Candidates for a doctoral degree must also satisfactorily complete (with an average grade of B or better) an approved program of advanced studies—the core/major/minor requirement. The program requires that students take not less than 84 credit hours of subjects (excluding special problems), of which two subjects (24 units) must be selected from the following courses (the core): 22.101, 22.105, and 22.106. Three subjects (36 units) comprise a field of specialization (the major) that will be closely related to the student's doctoral thesis topic. Two subjects (24 units) must be coordinated subjects clearly outside the field of specialization (the minor). None of the 36 units selected by the student in the field of specialization (the major) may be from the list of subjects specified for general examination questions chosen by the student.
Also available is a joint degree program offered by the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering's Radiological Sciences Graduate Program and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. Decisions regarding admission and award of the doctoral degree are made jointly. In addition to a strong background in the physical and engineering sciences, applicants should complete two undergraduate subjects in biology or biochemistry before entrance, and must complete three additional life sciences subjects prior to receiving the doctoral degree as part of the coursework toward fulfilling the NSE core/major/minor program. To supplement the program's academic training, a one-month clinical practicum in one of the affiliated Boston-area hospitals is also required. Students submit and defend a doctoral thesis before a committee of MIT faculty, including members from NSE and HST, in accordance with the interdisciplinary nature of the program.
Doctoral research may be undertaken either in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering or in a nuclear-related field in another department. Appropriate areas of research are described generally in the introduction to the department, and a detailed list may be obtained from the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering.
The department's programs are supported by a number of outstanding experimental facilities for advanced research in nuclear science and engineering.
The MIT Research Reactor in the Nuclear Reactor Laboratory operates at a power of 5 MW and is fueled with U-235 in a compact light-water cooled core surrounded by a heavy-water reflector. This reactor provides a wide range of radiation-related research and teaching opportunities for the students and faculty of the department. Major programs to study corrosion in a nuclear environment are currently in place. The clinical trials of boron neutron capture therapy are being conducted in the newly renovated epithermal neutron beam. Details of the laboratory's research programs and facilities are given in the section on Interdisciplinary Research and Study.
The department utilizes extensive experimental plasma facilities for the production and confinement of large volumes of highly ionized plasmas and for studies of plasma turbulence, particle motions, and other phenomena.
Most of the departmental research on plasmas and controlled fusion is carried out in the Plasma Science and Fusion Center. The department has played a major role in the design and development of high magnetic-field fusion devices. Currently there are three major plasma experiments at MIT—the Alcator C-Mod Tokamak, the Levitated Dipole Experiment, and the Versatile Toroidal Facility—all located in the Plasma Science and Fusion Center (described in the section on Interdisiplinary Research and Study in Part 1). Through its activities in the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, the department is also the national leader in the design of magnets, both copper and superconducting.
Within the Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, the full gamut of electron and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques can be undertaken in one setting. Topics explored in the laboratory include NMR microscopy; studies of porous, granular, and soft matter; quantum chaos; coherent multi-body dynamics; and experimental implementation of quantum computers. A focus is on the engineering of quantum spin-based sensors, actuators, and computers.
A unique, high-current tandem accelerator, developed for use in medical research, is available in the Accelerator Beam Applications Laboratory, and is capable of providing intense, low-energy neutrons for basic research into boron neutron capture therapy and other uses of the 10B(n,a) nuclear reaction. A second proton beam can be used as a microprobe for spatially resolved elemental analysis.
In the Whitaker College Biomedical Imaging and Computational Laboratory, a variety of radiation therapy and medical physics research projects are in progress. The laboratory houses computer workstations, which are used primarily for Monte Carlo simulation of different radiation types and for image processing analysis.
In addition to the above facilities, the department has a nuclear instrumentation laboratory and a 14 MeV neutron source. Laboratory space and shop facilities are available for research in all areas of Nuclear Science and Engineering. A state-of-the-art scanning electron microscope that can be used to study irradiated specimens is available. A number of computer workstations dedicated to simulation, modeling, and visualization, as well as MIT's extensive computer facilities, are used in research and graduate instruction.
Financial aid for graduate students is available in the form of research and teaching assistantships, department-administered fellowships, and supplemental subsidies from the College Work-Study Program. Assistantships are awarded to students with high quality academic records. The duty of a teaching assistant is to assist a faculty member in the preparation of subject materials and the conduct of classes, while that of a research assistant is to work on a research project under the supervision of one or more faculty members.
Most fellowships are awarded in April for the following academic year. Assistantships are awarded on a semester basis. The assignment of teaching assistants is made before the start of each semester, while research assistants can be assigned at any time. Essentially all students admitted to the graduate program receive financial aid for the duration of their education.
Application for financial aid should be made to Professor Sidney Yip, Room 24-102, MIT, 617-253-3809.
Additional information on graduate admissions and academic and research programs may be obtained from the department's Academic Office, Room 24-102, MIT, 617-253-3814, cegan@mit.edu.
Ian Horner Hutchinson, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Department Head
George Apostolakis, PhD
KEPCO Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering and Engineering Systems
Ronald George Ballinger, ScD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering and Materials Science and
Engineering
Sow-Hsin Chen, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
David Grant Cory, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Jeffrey Phillip Freidberg, PhD
KEPCO Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Michael Warren Golay, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Linn Walker Hobbs, DPhil
Professor of Materials Science and Nuclear Science and Engineering
Andrew C. Kadak, PhD
Professor of the Practice, Nuclear Science and Engineering
Mujid Suliman Kazimi, PhD
TEPCO Professor of Nuclear Engineering
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Director, Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems
Richard Keith Lester, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Director, Industrial Performance Center
Ronald Richard Parker, PhD
Professor of Electrical Engineering and Nuclear Science and Engineering
Jacquelyn Ciel Yanch, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
MacVicar Faculty Fellow
Sidney Yip, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering
Jeffrey A. Coderre, PhD
Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Kim Molvig, PhD
Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Dennis Whyte, PhD
Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Jacopo Buongiorno, PhD
Assistant Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Alan Pradip Jasanoff, PhD
Assistant Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Bilge Yildiz, PhD
Assistant Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Bruce R. Rosen, MD, PhD
Peter Catto, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, Plasma Science and Fusion Center and Nuclear Science and Engineering
Daniel R. Cohn, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, Plasma Science and Fusion Center and Nuclear Science and Engineering
Head, Plasma Technology and Systems, Plasma Science and Fusion Center
Richard C. Lanza, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Pavel Hejzlar, ScD
Joseph V. Minervini, PhD
Head, Fusion Technology and Engineering, Plasma Science and Fusion Center
Senior Research Engineer, Plasma Science and Fusion Center and Nuclear Science and Engineering
John A. Bernard, Jr., PhD
Principal Research Engineer, Nuclear Reactor Laboratory and Nuclear Science and Engineering
Emmanouil Chaniotakis, PhD
Shih-Ping Kao, PhD
Thomas McKrell, PhD
Chandrasekhar Ramanathan, ScD
Peter Stahle, BSME
Xi Lin , PhD
Dimitry Pushin, PhD
Marco Riboldir, PhD
Jianlin Wu, PhD
Piero Baglioni, PhD
Brandon Blackburn, PhD
Matteo Broccio, PhD
Paola Cappellaro, PhD
Gongyin Chen, PhD
John McGregor Dobbs, PhD
Andrew Hodgdon, MSc
Michael Hynes, PhD
Walter Kato, PhD
Yoonik Kim, PhD
Genrich Krasko, PhD
Benjamin Levi, PhD
Ning Li, PhD
Werner Maas, PhD
Ross Mair, PhD
Francesco Mallamace, PhD
Eric McFarland, MD, PhD
Shigenobu Ogata, PhD
David Perticone, PhD
Edward Pilat, PhD
Mark Rivard, PhD
Pradip Saha, PhD
Pabitra Sen, PhD
Grum Teklemariam, PhD
Terry Totemeier, PhD
John Watterson, PhD
Zhiwen Xu, PhD
Vitaliy Ziskin, PhD
Gordon Lee Brownell, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Emeritus
Michael John Driscoll, ScD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Emeritus
Thomas Henderson Dupree, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering and Physics, Emeritus
Elias Panayiotis Gyftopoulos, ScD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Emeritus
Kent Forrest Hansen, ScD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Emeritus
Otto Karl Harling, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Emeritus
David Dayton Lanning, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Emeritus
Ronald Michael Latanision, PhD
Professor of Materials Science and Nuclear Science and Engineering, Emeritus
John Edward Meyer, PhD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Emeritus
Kenneth Calvin Russell, PhD
Professor of Metallurgy and Nuclear Science and Engineering, Emeritus
Neil Emmanuel Todreas, ScD
Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Emeritus