Time-exposure photograph of electrical flashover arcs produced over the surface of the water in the accelerator tank as a byproduct of Z operation. These flashovers are much like strokes of lightning
Contact Information
For Radiation Effects please contact Tom Laub
twlaub@sandia.gov
(505) 844-9142
For Pulsed Power please contact Ken Struve kwstruv@sandia.gov
(505) 845-7483
Related links
Sandia Labs Employment for Student Programs
Center for Cyber Defenders Program
I am currently working on a masters degree in Nuclear Engineering at the University of New Mexico and graduated with a bachelors degree in Nuclear Engineering from UNM in May 2008. I have been a student intern at Sandia since March 2008. My work currently consists of completing my thesis, which is the Uncertainty Analysis of a Critical Experiment and linking the sensitivity analysis with the sensitivities produced from TSUNAMI-3D. I am also working on becoming a qualified criticality safety engineer. The organization that I work in has really given me a great and unique opportunity and I could not imagine working in a better place.
I am an undergraduate student from the University of Michigan and am currently working towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Physics with an interest in optics. This was my first year at Sandia National Laboratories. My job was working on code development for ITS. I had previously worked with MCNP and Fortran doing research on gamma radiation detection at my university. This experience with transport codes and Fortran programming proved invaluable. My work included adding volume outputs and higher order nodes to ITS’s finite element files along with a number of minor changes. These changes helped increase the accuracy of data transferred from ITS to finite element codes. It proved to be a great opportunity that has given me great practical work experience and programming experience. In addition, I was able to see and hear about exciting research taking place at Sandia through SEERI. It was a great experience that I would recommend for anyone.
I am currently finishing my undergraduate degree in physics at the University of Pennsylvania. This past summer was my first summer working at Sandia National Laboratories, and it was my first research experience outside of college laboratories. I was able to get hands on experience in the lab that complemented what I have learned in class. Overall, it was a great learning experience that I consider to be as valuable as the classroom in my education.
Hi my name is Robert Wills and I am a graduate student at UC Berkeley in Engineering Physics. My interests include plasma physics and condensed matter physics. I have research background in radiation detection and electromagnetic modeling. At UC Berkeley I worked with radiation detectors as a part of a group researching Compton Imaging Radiation detection, a method that utilizes two detectors to narrow the range of space from which radiation is being emitted. This research was focused at non-proliferation applications. My research at Sandia focused on modeling a plasma in finite element electromagnetic code for electromagnetic analysis of plasma facing components in the ITER tokomak reactor. I also investigated the effects of using ferritic materials in the plasma facing components of ITER. I am now continuing my undergraduate studies and seeking a new research position.
I am a doctoral candidate in Nuclear Engineering at the University of New Mexico with a research focus in radiation transport modeling. Participation in the SEERI program has led me to valuable insights in electron transport modeling and large-scale computing. My interactions with highly skilled staff members has been enlightening, and it has been a pleasure working with them. I am looking forward to continuing this avenue of research within the SEERI framework in the future.
For four years, I worked and researched with the ITS code development team while pursuing a MS in Medical Physics and a PhD in Nuclear Engineering at the University of New Mexico. I joined this team with a modest background in programming and computer science. My previous work was primarily experimental, ranging from neutron detection at Sandia’s Z-Machine, to microgravity fluid tests onboard NASA’s KC-135. Thanks to the ITS team, I learned how to perform computational research, how to develop and test software as part of a team, and how to use the Monte Carlo simulation method, even beyond the scope of particle transport. Specifically, I added Doppler broadening to the suite of photon physics, developed various methods to simulate Mott inelastic scattering for electrons, and created a technique for simulating adjoint electron transport problems with continuous energy tracking. Upon completion of my graduate studies, I was hired at Sandia National Laboratories’ Radiation Metrology Laboratory.
I am currently finishing my MS degree in nuclear engineering at Texas A&M University with the intent to pursue my PhD in the same field. I completed my undergraduate degree also in nuclear engineering from TAMU, so it was logical to continue my education at the same institution. During my undergraduate career I completed three internships at SNL in the advanced nuclear concepts group specifically related to analysis of space reactor applications. This work spurred my interest in particle transport and computation methods
My work this past summer was somewhat related to my thesis work involving applying long characteristic methods in space and time to particle transport problems. This work involved analyzing the scalability and parallel efficiency of the SCEPTRE transport code. Specifically, I looked at the scalability and theoretical parallel efficiency of the parallel prefix transport solver implemented by Shawn Pautz compared to other solver methods. For this analysis I did runs on the SNL Thunderbird system as well as the local clusters for the radiation transport group.
I gained a great deal of knowledge of parallel systems and the applicability and associated difficulties of applying different transport solver methods on these systems while at this internship. This knowledge has not only enhanced my master’s experience but has also opened my mind to new ideas for future research.
Frederick Gleicher began his career as a nuclear engineer student in 1989. Since then, he has been inching his way to a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering at the University of New Mexico (UNM) to fulfill his dream of being a nuclear engineer. Frederick's interests include mathematics with a specific interest in mathematics applied to particle (charged and neutral) transport and the Boltzmann equation. His current and recent work includes stochastic media and heavy-charged particle transport. Mr. Gleicheer is currently inching towards his Ph.D. under the direction of Dr. Anil Prinja.
My name is Lisa Cordova, and I am a graduate student who has worked two summer internships in Simulation Technology Research at SNL. Upon the completion of a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering at the University of New Mexico, I desired work experience that would provide an opportunity to exercise my academic knowledge and an environment that would foster professional maturity. SNL was the ideal place for this; it was close to home, and the projects I worked on in Simulation Technology Research complemented my graduate work at UNM in charged particle transport.
Both summer research projects contributed to the development of the Integrated Tiger Series (ITS), an electron-photon Monte Carlo transport code. The first project was to validate the code with experimental data, and the second project was to help verify the code by improving its regression test suite. Under the tutelage of my excellent technical advisor, Ron Kensek, and with the helpful assistance from the rest of the code development team, I learned how to use ITS and several different types of modeling software. At the conclusion of each summer, I summarized and presented my work at the student symposium, gaining experience in technical writing and delivering oral presentations.
The work I did was challenging and often fun. I benefited greatly, acquiring new computer skills and a deeper understanding of Monte Carlo methods. In addition, I really grew as a professional, as Ron continually encouraged me to think more critically and to express myself more clearly.
In short, I am very glad I had the opportunity to work in Simulation Technology Research, and I highly recommend an internship here to any student interested in modeling radiation transport!
Please explore my reports, using the link below, to learn more about the ITS code and the work I did.
Pictures: selected photographs of students involved in SEERI
Information for Managers: criteria, what a proposal should include, how funding is used, targeted universities
Publications: All the SEERI Publications by Students