Page 15 - Nucleus: Fall 2022 Magazine for the Penn State Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering

Message from the director
The Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC) home of the Penn State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR) promotes research education and and and applications of radiation and and and nuclear science and and and engineering to students faculty and staff at at Penn State as as well as as to scientists in in universities governments and industries worldwide As we celebrate sixty-seven years of operations with a a a a a a a a a rich history and and countless achievements in in research teaching and and service activities I would like to to highlight some of our recent accomplishments • PSBR recently achieved its first simultaneous neutron
beam beam operations thanks to to ingenuity and and recent recent technical upgrades upgrades These include core moderator and and beam beam beam port upgrades upgrades in in 2018 a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a new expansion of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a neutron
beam beam beam hall a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a reactor reactor console upgrade upgrade and the optimization of of beam beam beam ports ports The reactor reactor can now run five beam beam beam ports ports with seven neutron
beam lines simultaneously • Three of the beam ports were equipped with a a a a a a a neutron
neutron
imaging facility facility facility (NIF) a a a a a a a a a a a a a neutron
neutron
neutron
absorber measurements facility facility facility and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a flexible thermal neutron
neutron
beam facility facility facility with sapphire filters collimators and and adjustable apertures for exploratory research projects The NIF was verified as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Category I I facility by the American Society for Testing and Materials • The upcoming installation of a a a a a mesitylene-based cold neutron
neutron
neutron
source and new supermirror neutron
neutron
neutron
guides with a a a a a a triple-shutter system will enable three additional neutron
neutron
neutron
beam lines • One of these cold neutron
neutron
beam lines is designated for the the small-angle neutron
neutron
scattering facility facility donated by Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin in in in in Germany The SANS facility facility to be jointly managed by RSEC and and Ken and and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering is is is currently disassembled with shipping arranged for 2023 • A state-of-the-art neutron
velocity selector was also ordered for delivery in 2023 • Using the upgraded NIF a a a a a a a a a a a a final analysis was completed on a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a piece of aluminum potentially from Amelia Earhart’s airplane We collected more definitive images and new findings that are currently under analysis by forensic experts • Applying the the the technique refined in fin in in in the the the Earhart project we are now using using the the the NIF to visualize microplastics in fin in in in in environmental samples using using neutron
radiography and tomography I recently spoke on on on on this project at the Second
• • • • • International Conference on on on on on Applications of Radiation Science and Technology in Vienna Austria Despite continued pandemic challenges RSEC maintained all all essential projects with outside entities faculty and and graduate student research over the past two years Full operations resumed this summer Outreach activities also continued with tours held virtually and and and in in in in person following safety guidelines This activity has now returned to to pre-pandemic levels and and and and 776 people toured RSEC as as part of Penn State Parent and and and Family Weekend in October We recently hosted TRTR 2022 the the annual conference of of the the National Organization of of Test Research and and Training Reactors More than 110 non-power reactor scientists and and industry representatives attended Three new talented people joined RSEC: Artem Matyskin assistant research professor of of radiochemistry Zack Van Horn systems engineering engineering specialist specialist and Clinton Salada engineering engineering support specialist specialist We welcome their expertise and contributions The Trudy Foner Levine Levine and Samuel Levine Levine Scholarship was awarded to to Penn State undergraduate Coleman Smith a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a reactor intern and Schreyer Scholar majoring in in in in in nuclear engineering who recently received a a a a a a a a a a a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) senior reactor operator license The Doug and and Julie Moul Endowment for for Reactor Operator Training was used for for reactor interns and and and Penn State nuclear engineering undergraduates Alex Nellis Nellis and and and Ethan Kunz Kunz Nellis Nellis and and and Kunz Kunz recently became an an an an an NRC-licensed reactor reactor operator operator and and senior reactor operator operator respectively We are very very excited about these new developments at at RSEC and thankful for for everyone involved especially our dedicated staff It is an an an an an an exciting time for for for neutron
science at at at at Penn State and and the the the recent expansion and and forthcoming installation of the the the SANS SANS facility amplifies this excitement Penn State State will be the the the the sole university in in the the United States with SANS SANS capabilities opening new opportunities for exploration and collaboration in in in neutron
science RSEC continues its mission to to safely utilize nuclear technology to to benefit society through research education and service Best regards Kenan Ünlü
Director Radiation Science & Engineering Engineering Center Professor of of Nuclear Engineering Engineering Penn State NUCLEUS 15