Thrust 1: Rapid Turnaround Forensics

Overall goal: Advance the nation’s capabilities for rapid turnaround forensics by integrating advanced analytical and data analysis tools into platforms to maximize the amount and value of information gathered within a 24-hour timeframe

  • Year 1 Objective: First student experiential field survey; online workshop on rapid turnaround forensics capabilities

  • Key Success Metric: Workshop report, jointly authored.

  • Exciting Laboratory Interactions: SRNL – Tour of mobile plutonium facility; meeting with RAP team

Thrust 2: Advanced Analytical Methods

Overall goal: Our thrust aims to increase the materials analysis capabilities within the forensics community.

  • Year 1 Objectives: Record videos of instrument operation (for student and staff training); Initiate new collaborations with NLs and within CNF; First review article out

  • Key Success Metrics: Joint paper(s); Student internship(s) at labs. Faculty sabbatical application(s); Equipment utilization by partner institutions

  • Exciting Laboratory Interactions: LLNL – Separations for radionuclide analysis.; SRNL – Plutonium particle morphology study.; PNNL – Degradation mechanisms of particulate debris and Mössbauer Spectral Imager

Thrust 3: Ultrasensitive Measurements

Overall goal: Improve sensitivity in detection and characterization of select forensics-relevant materials

  • Year 1 Objectives: Team visit(s) to national laboratories; first review paper developed; student recruitment; student NL internships

  • Key Success Metrics: Solidified NL collaborations; filled research assistantship positions; in and between TA collaborations

  • Exciting Laboratory Interactions: Anagnostopoulos – Discussions with PNNL (Carman) and coordinating a visit; discussions with ORNL for (potential) new collaboration; Jovanovic – Visit/tour + discussions with LLNL on microcalorimetric measurements. Student getting hands-on experience with sample prep.; Martinez – Preliminary discussions with SRNL (Kuhne) for microbial work and new (potential) collaborator at PNNL (Conrad) for brainstorming adapted project

Thrust 4: Signature Discovery

Overall goal: TA 4 investigates new signatures to identify the provenance of nuclear material, either pre- or post-detonation.

  • Year 1 objectives: Initiate student training with national lab coPIs by VTC. Improvement of fast neutron spectrum at PSU Breazeale Reactor. Begin morphological sample prep & computational developments.

  • Key Success Metrics: New experimental signatures: morphological, elemental, and isotopic; Improve nuclear data for actinides, fission products, and activation products using a combination of experiments and models

  • Exciting Laboratory Interactions: Direct collaboration with Uranium Science and Technology Center at ORNL for technology capability development ; Continued relationship with PNNL for fission product yield determinations & morphology work ; Continued relationships with LANL and ORNL for computational/ML projects

Thrust 5: Prompt Effects and Measurements

Overall goal: Our thrust aims to address basic research interests in nudet prompt phenomena and fireball physics for nuclear forensics.

  • Year 1 objectives: Initiate collaborative efforts. Review article out.Key Success Metrics: New experimental signatures: morphological, elemental, and isotopic; Improve nuclear data for actinides, fission products, and activation products using a combination of experiments and models

  • Key Success Metric: Joint paper! Student internships at labs.

  • Exciting Laboratory Interactions: SNL – Houim validation of novel computational shock and fireball models; SRNL – Plutonium particle morphology study on plasma/fireball conditions.

CC1.1: Cross-Cutting Focus Area 1: HPC and AI Supporting HPC Applications and Analytics Throughout the CNF

Year 1 Objectives and Milestones

  • Chemical processes: Determine initial set of reactions to model chemical processes in TAs 1-3.

  • Data management plan: Develop initial strategies to aid TAs 1-5 with the data management plan.

  • Data science task force: a) Determine team members and stakeholders; b) Establish mission, strategies and goals for years 1 and 2.

  • Nuclear Forensics Signatures, Shock physics, Transport, and Combustion Codes: Design assessment for computational protocol to aid in evaluation of HPC/AI applications to enhance implementation of nuclear forensics signatures, and potential for HPC/AI enhancements including variants such as multiphysics environments.

CC1.2: Cross-Cutting Focus Area 1: HPC and AI Develop Advanced Computational Workshop

Year 1 Objectives and Milestones

  • Design workshop components and syllabus outline for HPC/data science instruction. (Year 1 Q1/Q2).

  • Coordinate with CNF’s TAs 1-5 for synergy between experimental and computational components. (Year 1 Q2/Q3).

  • Coordinate and develop modules with the ACS-NUCL, and the ACS Radiochemistry Summer School (ARSC) and the NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Institute (NDLI) for synergy. (Year 1 Q2/Q3).

  • Incorporate additional curriculum modules to include CNF’s TAs 1-5, the ACS Radiochemistry Summer School (ARSC), and the NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Institute (NDLI). (Year 1 Q4).

  • Develop curriculum for in-person workshop. (Year 1 Q4).