Nuclear Science and Engineering

Covert nuclear-weapon programs, whether in Iran, North Korea, or elsewhere in the world, are a major unsolved problem, says Scott Kemp, an associate professor of nuclear science and engineering at MIT. He recently explained the technical challenges involved in the hunt for clandestine nuclear sites. And he floated a possible solution.

Explained: Detecting the threat of nuclear weapons

Professor of nuclear science and engineering Scott Kemp describes the science behind the search for clandestine nuclear sites.

June 8, 2018

Tom Fredian is being recognized for his “outstanding leading role in the development and evolution of data systems in nuclear fusion.”

Tom Fredian: Streamlining fusion data

MIT systems analyst receives award for his essential fusion data storage and retrieval system.

June 1, 2018

Left to right: Seed Fund awardees Ahmed Ghoniem, Betar Gallant, Karthish Manthiram, and Bilge Yildiz.

MIT Energy Initiative awards nine Seed Fund grants for early-stage energy research

Awardees will use grants to advance research in areas including energy storage, renewables expansion modeling, and the chemistry of electrocatalysts.

June 1, 2018

Guanyu Su, MIT graduate student in nuclear science and engineering, is examining multi-scale physics in annular flow heat transfer using advanced diagnostics.

Turning up the heat

Fine-tuning thermal hydraulics in reactors, doctoral student Guanyu Su hopes to advance more powerful nuclear energy technology.

May 17, 2018

Outside the cell of MIT's Alcator C-Mod tokamak Professor Joe Paradiso listens to the sound of the fusion experiment's data, processed by his unique modular synthesizer.

Spinning data into sound

An interdepartmental collaboration brings out the music of nuclear fusion.

May 9, 2018

MIT researchers have designed MRI sensors that form clusters in the presence of calcium, allowing them to monitor neuron activity in the living brain.

Calcium-based MRI sensor enables more sensitive brain imaging

System detects direct signals of neural activity; could reveal patterns underlying behavior.

April 30, 2018

Honorees Ahmed Ghoniem (left) and Wesley Harris enjoy the Committed to Caring celebration on April 11.

Celebrating great mentorship for graduate students

MIT’s Committed to Caring Award selects third slate of dedicated professors.

April 24, 2018

Assistant professor of nuclear science and engineering Mingda Li relishes the freedom of his new academic life, and the growing MIT network that sustains his research passions.

Deriving a theory of defects

Mingda Li seeks to harness atomic irregularities in materials for improved energy applications.

April 19, 2018

At top, a diagram shows the configuration that could be used to verify that a nuclear warhead is real. At left, the key component of a nuclear weapon, called the pit, which consists of a hollow sphere of plutonium, is lined up with a specially made second component, called the reciprocal, which has the opposite characteristics. When the two are observed using a beam of neutrons, the resulting imag...

For nuclear weapons reduction, a way to verify without revealing

New isotope-detection method could prove compliance but avoid divulging secrets.

April 19, 2018

Researchers have found that a solid oxide protective coating for metals can, when applied in sufficiently thin layers, deform as if it were a liquid, filling any cracks and gaps as they form.

Self-healing metal oxides could protect against corrosion

Researchers find an ultrathin layer of aluminum oxide, though solid, can flow like a liquid instead of cracking.

April 3, 2018

School of Engineering first quarter 2018 awards

Faculty members recognized for excellence via a diverse array of honors, grants, and prizes over the last quarter.

April 3, 2018

MIT graduate engineering, business, science programs ranked highly by U.S. News for 2019

Graduate engineering program is No. 1 in the nation; MIT Sloan is No. 5.

March 20, 2018

“It’s really essential for the nuclear sector, an industry that is struggling in the current economic climate, to incorporate lessons from other industries that successfully create, design, build, and distribute technology,” says Ka-Yen Yau.

From coolants to a carbon-constrained world

An early calling for clean energy propels undergraduate Ka-Yen Yau’s research on the next generation of nuclear technology.

March 15, 2018

Visualization of the proposed SPARC tokamak experiment. Using high-field magnets built with newly available high-temperature superconductors, this experiment would be the first controlled fusion plasma to produce net energy output.

MIT and newly formed company launch novel approach to fusion power

Goal is for research to produce a working pilot plant within 15 years.

March 9, 2018

3Q: Zach Hartwig on MIT's big push on fusion

Researchers will work with industrial collaborators to pursue fusion as a source of carbon-free power.