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Recent News

Researching high-fidelity methods to make small modular reactors more cost-effective

Youyeon Choi discovered in high school she really liked “thinking in geometry,” finding the shapes and dimensions fascinating. Now at MIT geometry plays a prominent role in her doctoral work under the guidance of Professor Koroush Shirvan, as she explores ways to increase the competitiveness of small modular reactors. Central to her work is metallic nuclear fuel in a helical cruciform shape, which improves surface area and lowers heat flux as compared to the traditional cylindrical equivalent.

	MIT spinout Commonwealth Fusion Systems unveils plans for the world’s first fusion power plant The company has announced that it will build the first grid-scale fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The concept for a fusion power plant evolvved out of a design class taught by NSE’s Prof Dennis Whyte in 2012. Whyte challenged the graduate students to design a fusion device that would use a new kind of superconducting magnet to confine the plasma used in the reaction.
	SPOTLIGHT: Transforming fusion from a scientific curiosity into a powerful clean energy source Driven to solve hard problems, Associate Professor Zachary Hartwig is advancing a new approach to commercial fusion energy.
	A redo of a classic lab-intensive course explores fun new ways of conducting research MIT NSE is collaborating with the SHED on a key experiment for the NSE prerequisite, Principles of Nuclear Radiation Measurement and Protection
	SPOTLIGHT: Researching high-fidelity methods to make small modular reactors more cost-effective Her native South Korea is among the world’s leading nations in nuclear energy. Third-year doctoral student, Youyeon Choi, is leaning on her work experience in Seoul, and her love of multi-physics modeling to pursue doctoral research at MIT NSE.
	Decarbonizing heavy industry with thermal batteries MIT spinout Electrified Thermal Solutions, co-founded by NSE alum Dan Stack, has developed an electrically conductive firebrick that stores heat at high enough temperatures to power industrial processes.
	Yu-Jou Wang wins Young Professional Thermal Hydraulics Research Competition MIT postdoctoral candidate Yu-Jou Wang won the Young Professional Thermal-Hydraulic Research Competition at the 2024 American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting for her paper, “A Dynamic Turbulence Tracking Approach for Uncertainty Quantification of URANS CFD Models”, co-authored with MIT’s Professor Emilio Baglietto
	Three from NSE named to Nuclear News 40 under 40 list for 2024 Nuclear News launched its 40 Under 40 to celebrate the talented young professionals who are making great strides in every sector of the industry. Included in the inaugural list are Professor Koroush Shirvan, and NSE alums Aditi Verma PhD ’18 and Paul Romano PhD ’13.
	3 Questions: Can a nuclear energy challenge stall decarbonization goals? Professor Jacopo Buongiorno discusses why supply chain issues related to nuclear fuel is one of the industry’s most pressing problems and how an MIT event addressed potential solutions.
	3 Questions: Koroush Shirvan on updated costs for the AP1000 nuclear reactor and the role it will likely play in a decarbonized economy Shirvan urges action to construct more AP1000 nuclear reactors as a way of maturing the technology, since it will likely be one of the most vital carbon-free energy resources
	Nanoscale transistors could enable more efficient electronics Prof Ju Li along with a research team at MIT has developed a new kind of nanoscale transistor using ultrathin semiconductor materials which operate more efficiently than silicon-based devices
	Areg Danagoulian elected 2024 American Physical Society Fellow Nominated by the American Physical Society Forum on Physics and Society (FPS), Danagoulian was cited, “for seminal technological contributions in the field of arms control and cargo security, which significantly benefit international security.”
	SPOTLIGHT: Smart handling of neutrons is crucial to fusion power success Ethan Peterson is addressing some of the practical, overlooked issues that need to be worked out for viable fusion power plants.
	Study: Fusion energy could play a major role in the global response to climate change Experts in energy systems modeling and fusion technology explore the future role of fusion at various costs and carbon constraints.
	Bridging anthropology and engineering for clean energy in Mongolia Prof Mike Short launched Anthro-Engineering with Prof Manduhai Buyandelger in 2021. The program provides students the opportunity for deep engagement, relationship building, and personal understanding needed to find real solutions for real people.
	Remembering NSE alum, John Kelly John Kelly PhD ’80 passed away at the age of 70 on October 3, 2024. His groundbreaking career spanned over forty years. His tenure at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque NM, where he focused on safety and severe accident analysis was followed by service as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Nuclear Reactor Technologies at the U.S. Department of Energy. Kelly played a critical role in shaping nuclear policy and guiding the world through significant events, including the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in Japan. His leadership and expertise were vital to shaping a safer, more advanced nuclear future for the global community.
	SPOTLIGHT: Applying risk and reliability analysis Across industries After an illustrious career at Idaho National Laboratory spanning three decades, Curtis Smith is looking forward to sharing his expertise in risk analysis and management with future generations of engineers.
	Jack Hare, Mike Short receive School of Engineering awards Prof Jack Hare received the 2024 Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Excellence in Teaching and Prof Mike Short received the Capers (1976) and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising.
	SPOTLIGHT: Aligning economic and regulatory frameworks for today’s nuclear reactor technology Today’s regulations for nuclear reactors may have been well designed for existing technologies but are unprepared for how the field has evolved and what might come down the pike. Through systems modeling and by studying environmental transport of radionuclide inventory, Liam Hines NSE doctoral student wants to ensure that policy keeps up with the technology.
	Study of disordered rock salts leads to battery breakthrough Research by NSE’s Ju Li, Yimeng Huang, and collaborators describes a new family of integrated rock salt-polyanion cathodes opens door to low-cost, high-energy storage.
	3Q: From the bench to the battlefield NSE rising senior and Army ROTC cadet Alexander Edwards discusses a new UROP fellowship with the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies.
	More durable metals for fusion power plants NSE’s Prof Ju Li and a team of MIT engineers have demonstrated that adding nanoparticles of certain ceramics to the metals can protect them from damage and significantly extend their lifetime under extreme conditions
	A new approach to fine-tuning quantum materials An MIT-led group shows how to achieve precise control over the properties of Weyl semimetals and other exotic substances.
	Proton-conducting materials could enable new green energy technologies Analysis and materials identified by NSE’s Bilge Yildiz and other MIT engineers could lead to more energy-efficient fuel cells, electrolyzers, batteries, or computing devices.
	AI method radically speeds predictions of materials’ thermal properties The approach, developed by NSE’s Mingda Li and a team of researchers from MIT and elsewhere, could help engineers design more efficient energy-conversion systems and faster microelectronic devices, reducing waste heat.
	Richard K Lester honored with the 2024 Gordon Y. Billard Award Richard K Lester, vice provost for international activities and Japan Steel Industry Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, honored with the 2024 Gordon Y. Billard Award. The award is given to individuals who have had impact beyond normal job duties, and created important, lasting, and wide-ranging contributions to the MIT community.
	Bucci, Hartwig, Shirvan granted tenure Matteo Bucci, Zach Hartwig, and Koroush Shirvan are among twelve faculty members granted tenure in six units across MIT’s School of Engineering in 2024.
	Bilge Yildiz wins 2024 Faraday Medal The Faraday Medal is awarded annually by the Electrochemistry Group of the Royal Society of Chemistry “in recognition of outstanding original contributions and innovation in any field of electrochemistry”.
	Congratulations to our graduating students! MIT’s commencement ceremony is on May 30th. Forty NSE students graduate this year.
	Nuclear Science and Engineering Annual Awards 2024 NSE and the student chapter of the American Nuclear Society hosted their annual awards dinner on May 22, 2024
	SPOTLIGHT: Studying astrophysically relevant plasma physics The third-year doctoral student has always loved a hands-on approach to science. Research in lab-based astrophysics has enabled him to experiment in an otherwise heavily theoretical subject.
	Using MRI, engineers have found a way to detect light deep in the brain The new technique could enable detailed studies of how brain cells develop and communicate with each other.
	David Lanning, Course 22 professor emeritus and key contributor to the MIT Reactor, dies at 96 Remembering the research contributions of a nuclear engineering expert and passionate teacher
	Nuno Loureiro named director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center A lauded professor, theoretical physicist, and fusion scientist, Loureiro is keenly positioned to advance the center’s research and education goals.Loureiro succeeds Dennis Whyte, who stepped down at the end of 2023.
	Zach Hartwig honored as “Committed to Caring” for 2023–25 The Committed to Caring (C2C) program at MIT is a student-driven initiative that celebrates faculty members who have served as exceptional mentors to graduate students. Hartwig is one of twenty-three MIT professors have been selected as recipients of the award for 2023-25, marking the most extensive cohort of honorees to date.
	Mingda Li, one of two MIT teams selected for NSF sustainable materials grants Chosen from 16 finalist teams, Prof Li’s project will be finding pathways to scale up sustainable topological materials, which have the potential to revolutionize next-generation microelectronics by showing superior electronic performance, such as dissipationless states or high-frequency response.
	SPOTLIGHT: Modeling the threat of nuclear war As part of his doctoral studies in MIT’s Department of Nuclear Scienc and Engineering, Eli Sanchez focused on understanding whether hypersonic missiles are a threat to global security.
	A new way to detect radiation involving cheap ceramics Work by MIT engineers could lead to plethora of new applications, including better detectors for nuclear materials at ports.
	With inspiration from “Tetris,” MIT researchers develop a better radiation detector The device, based on simple tetromino shapes, could determine the direction and distance of a radiation source, with fewer detector pixels.
	Reevaluating an approach to functional brain imaging An MRI method purported to detect neurons’ rapid impulses produces its own misleading signals instead, an MIT study finds.
	Propelling atomically layered magnets toward green computers MIT scientists have tackled key obstacles to bringing 2D magnetic materials into practical use, setting the stage for the next generation of energy-efficient computers.
	NSE researchers discover “neutronic molecules” A study by graduate students Hao Tang and Guoqing Wang, and profs Ju Li and Paola Cappellaro, shows neutrons can bind to nanoscale atomic clusters known as quantum dots. The finding may provide insights into material properties and quantum effects.
	2024 NSE Research Expo The MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering hosts its annual Research Expo on April 26, 2024. The event will showcase NSE research from across the Department.
	Lessons from Fukushima: Prepare for the unlikely An analysis of the 2011 nuclear accident reveals a need for more preparation, training, and protocols for responding to low-probability accidents.
	A first-ever complete map for elastic strain engineering New research by a team of MIT engineers offers guide for fine-tuning specific material properties
	Anne White is one among faculty who teach MITx courses and lead cutting-edge research Women at MIT have been impacting their fields since Ellen Swallow Richards, the first woman graduate of MIT, was appointed chemistry instructor in 1882. Richards was an industrial and environmental chemist who established the Woman’s Laboratory in 1876 to create better opportunities for the scientific education of women, opening future opportunities at MIT and beyond.
	Tests show high-temperature superconducting magnets are ready for fusion Detailed study of magnets built by MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems confirms they meet requirements for an economic, compact fusion power plant.
	Researchers harness 2D magnetic materials for energy-efficient computing NSE’s Thanh Nguyen and Mingda Li with an MIT team precisely controlled an ultrathin magnet at room temperature, which could enable faster, more efficient processors and computer memories.
	Future nuclear power reactors could rely on molten salts — but what about corrosion? NSE’s Associate Professor Michael Short and postdoc Dr. Weiyue Zhou have demonstrated that proton irradiation decreases the rate of corrosion in certain metal alloys. This is potentially good news for designers and builders of promising nuclear power reactors that rely on molten salts, which tend to be highly corrosive.
	SPOTLIGHT: Ericmoore Jossou: Optimizing nuclear fuels for next-generation reactors While working on nurturing scientific talent in his native Nigeria, Ericmoore Jossou is setting his sights on using materials science and computation to design robust nuclear components.
	Jacopo Buongiorno elected to NAE NSE’s Jacopo Buongiorno along with 15 from MIT, elected to National Academy of Engineering in 2024 are honored for significant contributions to engineering research, practice, and education
	Technique could improve the sensitivity of quantum sensing devices The method lets researchers identify and control larger numbers of atomic-scale defects, to build a bigger system of qubits.
	SPOTLIGHT: Guoqing Wang: Exploring quantum phenomena through an engineering perspective Guoqing Wang has channeled a deep love of physics to the study of different aspects of quantum sciences.
	SPOTLIGHT: Masashi Hirose: Democratizing Access to Quantum A passion for quantum physics has led Masashi Hirose, an alumnus of MIT-NSE, to seek to revolutionize computing by creating a network of viable quantum computers.
	2023 Highlights Top NSE news stories from the last twelve months.