Fall 2015 Colloquium Series

December 16, 2015January 14, 2019

Nuclear Safety: A Thought for the Future

SPEAKER:

MAN-SUNG YIM, PHD/SCD

PROFESSOR AND HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NUCLEAR AND QUANTUM ENGINEERING
KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (KAIST)

DATE/TIME:

MON, 12/16/2015 - 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2015 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

First, history of nuclear safety over the years is reviewed in this talk. Based on the review, challenges in nuclear safety facing nuclear industry are examined. After noting that technological advances in nuclear safety does not necessarily translates into public acceptance of nuclear power, this talk also examines the gap between technological approaches and cultural approaches to nuclear safety. Based on the examination, this talk presents an attempt to connect nuclear safety research with improving public acceptance of nuclear power.

About the Speaker:

About the Speaker: Man-Sung Yim is Professor and Head of the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering and Director of Nuclear Nonproliferation Education and Research Center at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Prior to joining KAIST, he was a senior researcher/researcher at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, lecturer at MIT, Associate/Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University (NCSU), and a joint faculty between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and NC SU. Dr. Yim is formerly a Fulbright scholar, Sam Nunn International Security Fellow at Georgia Tech, and served on the North Carolina Science Advisory Board on Toxic Air Pollutants, Nuclear Nonproliferation External Steering Committee at Idaho National Laboratory, and Advisory Committee for Korean Nuclear Safety and Security Commission. He is a member of Advisory Committee for Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Editorial Advisory Board of Progress in Nuclear Energy, and International Advisory Board at Imperial College, Center for Nuclear Engineering. Dr. Yim is a graduate of Seoul National University (BS/MS), University of Cincinnati (PhD), and Harvard University (SM/ScD).

December 8, 2015January 14, 2019

Muography, a Safe Way of Studying Volcanoes and Nuclear Reactors

SPEAKER:

CRISTINA CARLOGANU, PH.D.

CNRS SENIOR SCIENTIST

LPC CLERMONT FERRAND/ IN2P3 / BLAISE PASCAL UNIVERSITY

DATE/TIME:

MON, 12/08/2015 - 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2015 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

Robust, high resolution and large area trackers became available in the last fifteen years and the old ideas pioneered by George and Alvarez of imaging mountains and pyramids using high energy atmospheric muons started to be put in practice.

All over the world research teams work on applications in volcanology, archeology and even monitoring the nuclear fuel in Fukushima’s damaged reactors. After a highlight on some muographic projects worldwide, I will concentrate on applications in volcanology and show what we learned after five years of muographic experimentation on a volcano in the French Massive Central, the Puy de Dôme. Muographic imaging is still at its beginning, but hope is high that it could significantly improve the structural studies of volcanoes and help passing from a qualitative to a quantitative understanding of their evolution. More multi-probe data and reliable modelling are also the key to reducing human and economic losses during eruptive episodes of volcanoes by increasing the accuracy of the risk assessment maps.

About the Speaker:

CNRS senior scientist at LPC Clermont Ferrand/ IN2P3 / Blaise Pascal University
Present research: muographic imaging, PI of TOMUVOL collaboration
Past research :
Study of neutrino oscillations with the ANTARES telescope
Imaging Calorimeters for the ILC detectors
Detection of cosmic tau neutrinos with the radio telescope TREND

November 23, 2015January 14, 2019

Evaluating the Impact of Ionizing Radiation with Modeling, Biomarkers and Live Cell Imaging

SPEAKER:

SYLVAIN V. COSTES, PH.D

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, BIOSCIENCES, LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY, CSO AND CO-FOUNDER OF EXOGEN BIOTECHNOLOGY INC.

DATE/TIME:

MON, 11/23/2015 - 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2015 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

In this presentation, we will review some of the key concepts in health effects from ionizing radiation with an emphasis on recent developments at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where scientists investigate how cells, tissue and organisms respond to radiation. Biomarkers, modeling and imaging approaches will be discussed and put into the context of how one can extrapolate risk from high to low dose.

About the Speaker:

Sylvain Costes is a Staff Scientist in the Life Sciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Dr. Costes specializes in high-throughput fluorescence microscopy, DNA damage quantification, image analysis, and computer modeling for radiation risk. He developed, under the NASA Specialized Center of Research (NSCOR) and the Department of Energy (DOE) low-dose radiation programs, novel imaging approaches to assess DNA damage in human cells. Dr. Costes is an active member of the Radiation Research Society and he is part of the leadership team of the Institute of Resilient Communities (IRC), a Berkeley Lab institute dedicated to providing tools that enhance resilience in communities locally and globally. Dr. Costes is the CSO and co-founder of the Berkeley Lab spin-off startup Exogen Biotechnology Inc., a company using Costes’ high throughput DNA damage technology to provide phenotypic test for individuals, research institutes, clinics and hospitals interested in evaluating individual’s sensitivity to genotoxic stress such as radiation or certain chemicals.

November 16, 2015January 14, 2019

California Energy Commission 101

SPEAKER:

KEVIN BARKER

ADVISOR TO CHAIR WEISENMILLER
THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION

DATE/TIME:

MON, 11/16/2015 - 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2015 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

The California Energy Commission is the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency. Created by the Legislature in 1974 and located in Sacramento, six basic responsibilities guide the Energy Commission as it sets state energy policy:
•   Forecasting future energy needs
•   Promoting energy efficiency and conservation by setting the state’s appliance and building efficiency standards
•   Supporting public interest energy research that advances energy science and technology through research, development and demonstration programs
•   Developing renewable energy resources and alternative renewable energy technologies for buildings, industry and transportation

• Licensing thermal power plants 50 megawatts or larger

• Planning for and directing state response to energy emergencies

The Energy Commission is committed to reducing energy costs and environmental impacts of energy use - such as greenhouse gas emissions - while ensuring a safe, resilient, and reliable supply of energy. The Energy Commission invests in new energy innovations that are leading the way to a cleaner, safer, more affordable and more reliable energy future for California

About the Speaker:

After graduating from UC Irvine with a degree in Environmental Studies, Kevin Barker went to work in the Renewable Energy Office and the Energy Commission. In 2010, he was hired as Chair Weisenmiller’s policy advisor for renewables and distributed generation. In 2012 he was promoted to Chair Weisenmiller’s chief of staff. His areas of focus are renewables, demand forecasting, electricity supply, research and development, and transmission.

November 9, 2015January 14, 2019

Radiation and Cancer : How advanced high energy and nuclear physics help in the fight against cancer

SPEAKER:

DR. ERIC ABEL

SENIOR SCIENTIST, GINZTON TECHNOLOGY CENTER, VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS

DATE/TIME:

MON, 11/09/2015- 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2015 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world today, and shares the pedestal with heart disease as the leading non-communicable disease. While a cure for cancer remains elusive, state of the art care has greatly increased both the average length and quality of life of diagnosed cancer patients. Radiation therapy is a non-invasive technique which preferentially kills tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue, and modern conformal radiation dose delivery techniques have managed to increase the therapeutic window. As a leading supplier of radiation oncology equipment, Varian has played a major role in the field of radiation oncology. Varian has a long history of innovation in the field of microwave and radiation physics, and innovation is still at our core today. As a scientist in the Ginzton Technology Center, I have the opportunity to push the boundaries play a role in the future path of Varian in the fight against cancer. I plan to cover a brief overview of the evolution of Varian and radiation oncology, as well as share some of the current research on going both at Varian and with our partners, and finally provide a glimpse into the future direction of cancer care.

About the Speaker:

After graduating from high school in my hometown of Kalispell, MT, I went on to receive a B.A. in Physics and German from the University of Oregon. This combination of majors springboard me into a Fulbright scholarship for graduate studies in Stuttgart Germany where I completed a Master's degree from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) under Professor Bernhard Keimer. I then proceeded to pursue a Ph.D. at MIT under professor Young Lee, which I completed in 2007. The focus of my graduate research, both at MPI and MIT, was the use of particle scattering to characterize highly correlated electron systems, specifically low dimensional quantum magnetism in the context of high temperature superconductivity. After graduate school, I left academia and took my first position in Portland, Oregon as a development engineer at Cascade Microtech, a manufacturer of probe card equipment for on-wafer chip testing. In 2011 my family and I made the move to the Bay Area to pursue a job opportunity as senior research scientist at the Ginzton Technology Center of Varian Medical Systems in Palo Alto where I have been to this day.

November 2, 2015January 14, 2019

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

SPEAKER:

JOHN ABREFAH, PH.D.

SENIOR ENGINEER, DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD

DATE/TIME:

MON, 11/02/2015 - 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2015 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) is an independent oversight organization within the executive branch. The Board is chartered with the responsibility of providing recommendations and advice to the Secretary of Energy regarding public health and safety issues at Department of Energy (DOE) defense nuclear facilities. Established by the US Congress in 1988, the Board started operation in October 1989. The Board reviews and evaluates the content and implementation of health and safety standards, as well as other requirements relating to the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of DOE’s defense nuclear facilities. The Board is also responsible for investigating any event or practice at a DOE facility, which has or could adversely affect public health and safety, by analyzing design and operational data pertinent to safety oversight of DOE defense nuclear facilities. This talk will discuss how the Board uses operational and design data to evaluate the safety concerns at DOE’s defense nuclear facilities.

About the Speaker:

Dr. John Abrefah is a Senior Engineer at the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, where he is using his years of experience to advance the safety envelops of DOE defense nuclear facilities. He has more than 25 years of experience in research, analysis and characterization of irradiated nuclear materials behavior, spent nuclear fuel degradation and general engineer materials degradation behavior for system design performance. Prior to joining the Board in 2008, he was a staff scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for 15 years where he started as Senior Research Engineer and became the Team Lead for the Radiomaterials Chemistry Group. At PNNL, he was the principal scientist that led the research activities to stabilize the Hanford corroded spent nuclear fuel stored at the K-Basin for interim storage as well as developing the thermal stabilization process scheme for separating plutonium from the degraded polycubes stored at the Plutonium Finishing Plant. Dr. Abrefah has been recognized for his scientific work with a number of awards and honors including an Emerald Honors Award for Professional Achievement in 2006. He was invited to participate in national scientific programs including reviewing nuclear industries deliverables to US Department of Energy on the Global Nuclear Energy Partinership and has published several reports and journal articles. After graduation, he worked with Prof. Olander on nuclear material degradation to advance his professional research knowledge until he joined PNNL in 1993. Dr. Abrefah received his Ph.D in Nuclear Engineering in 1987 and MS in Nuclear Engineering in 1982 from the University of California Berkeley.

October 26, 2015January 14, 2019

Hydrogen Isotope Transport in the Graphite Fuel Elements of Fluoride-Salt Cooled, High-Temperature Nuclear Reactors (FHR)

SPEAKER:

RALUCA O. SCARLAT, PH.D

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING PHYSICS AT UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON

DATE/TIME:

MON, 10/26/2015 - 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2015 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

The Pebble-Bed Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High Temperature Reactor (PB-FHR) is an advanced nuclear reactor concept that combines high-temperature and low-pressure fluoride salt coolants with particle-encapsulated nuclear fuel. FHRs deliver heat in the 600 - 700°C range, and this temperature range makes it possible to couple nuclear heat to commercially available gas turbines for open air power conversion cycles, which enables combined-cycle efficiencies of 65% and provides the capability of natural gas co-firing for power peaking. One of the technical challenges that is most important in the commercialization if FHRs is the management of tritium. Under neutron-irradiation, the metallic constituents of the salt generate tritium, for which the salt has very low solubility. At 600oC and above, tritium readily diffuses through metals, and the salt-to-air metal heat exchanger is a pathway for the release of tritium to the atmosphere. In order to manage tritium release, two complementary approaches are being studied: tritium permeation barriers on metallic tubes, and methods for the extraction of tritium from the salt coolant. The fuel elements of FHR are made of a graphitic material in which the encapsulated fuel particles are embedded. It would be advantageous if the graphitic material of the FHR fuel elements could serve as an effective in-situ tritium sink. The Scarlat group studies the ability of this graphitic material to absorb hydrogen isotopes from the liquid fluoride salts. This presentation will provide an overview of tritium management in FHR, and will present the ongoing research at University of Wisconsin Madison on understanding the transport mechanisms of hydrogen isotopes from liquid fluoride salts into graphitic materials.

About the Speaker:

Raluca Scarlat is an assistant professor at UW Madison in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics. She has a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from UC Berkeley, and a B.S. in chemical and biomolecular engineering from Cornell University. Prior to her doctoral studies she has worked for GE and ExxonMobil. In 2011, she advised for Hitachi-GE, in Japan, on post-Fukushima changes to severe accident guidelines for the Japanese fleet of reactors. She has published articles in Nuclear Engineering and Design, Nuclear Instruments and Methods, Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, and Progress in Nuclear Energy. Her research interests are in the area of heat and mass transport, thermal-hydraulics, nuclear reactor safety and design, and engineering ethics.

October 23, 2015January 14, 2019

Underestimated: Our Not So Peaceful Nuclear Future

SPEAKER:

HENRY SOKOLSKI, PH.D

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NONPROLIFERATION POLICY EDUCATION CENTER

DATE/TIME:

WED, 10/21/2015 - 12:00PM TO 1:00PM

LOCATION:

310 SODA HALL

Fall 2015 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

With the world focused on Iran, it is tempting to think that addressing this case, North Korea, and the problem of nuclear terrorism is all that matters and is what matters most. Perhaps, but if states become more willing to use their nuclear weapons to achieve military advantage, our security could be held hostage not just by Pyongyang, Tehran, and terrorists, but to nuclear proliferation, miscalculation, and wars between a much larger number of possible players. This, in a nutshell, is the premise of Underestimated: Our Not So Peaceful Nuclear Future, which explores what we think about this future and what we may actually be up against. The book has already received critical praise from SURVIVAL, Eric Schlosser (author of Command and Control), Andrew Marshall (former Office of Net Assessment), and a number of university professors including Robert Jervis (Columbia University), Peter Feaver (Duke) and Ambassador Robert Gallucci (Georgetown).

About the Speaker:

Henry Sokolski is the Executive Director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center (NPEC), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization founded in 1994 to promote a better understanding of strategic weapons proliferation issues among policy-makers, scholars and the media. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C.

He previously served in the Pentagon (1989-1993) as Deputy for Nonproliferation Policy and received a medal for outstanding public service from Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney. He also worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Office of Net Assessment, as a consultant to the National Intelligence Council, and as a member of the Central Intelligence Agency's Senior Advisory Group. In the U.S. Senate, Mr. Sokolski served as a special assistant on nuclear energy matters to Senator Gordon Humphrey (R-NH), and as a legislative military aide to Senate Armed Service Committee member Dan Quayle (R-IN).

In 2008, Congress appointed him to serve a two-year term as a member of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. Congress previously appointed him in 1999 to serve on the Deutch WMD Proliferation Commission. Mr. Sokolski has authored and edited a number of works on proliferation, including Underestimated: Our Not So Peaceful Nuclear Future (2015); Best of Intentions: America's Campaign Against Strategic Weapons Proliferation (2001); Nuclear Weapons Security Crises: What Does History Teach? (2013), The Next Arms Race (2012), Nuclear Power's Global Expansion: Weighing its Costs and Risks (2010); Nuclear Heuristics: Selected Writings of Albert and Roberta Wohlstetter (2009); Falling Behind: International Scrutiny of the Peaceful Atom (2008); Getting Ready for a Nuclear-Ready Iran (2005); and Getting MAD: Nuclear Mutual Assured Destruction, Its Origins and Practice (2004).

October 19, 2015January 14, 2019

New Data on the Real Costs of Historical Nuclear Power Around the World

SPEAKER:

JESSICA LOVERING

SENIOR ANALYST AT THE BREAKTHROUGH INSTITUTE

DATE/TIME:

MON, 10/19/2015 - 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2015 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

While most studies of nuclear costs focus narrowly on the US and France, Jessica Lovering’s newly curated dataset includes complete cost histories of nuclear reactors for seven countries. By comparing the historical trends in countries like the US, France, Germany, and Canada with newcomers like Japan, India, and South Korea, many lessons can be learned about what types of policies can bring the cost of nuclear power down.

About the Speaker:

Jessica earned an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado Boulder, where her studies focused on energy policy. During her last year of school, Jessica created a graduate course in nuclear energy, which she co-taught in the Spring of 2012 with a nuclear physics professor. The course was an interdisciplinary look at all aspects of nuclear power including social, environmental, financial, security, and legal issues. In 2011, Jessica was a Breakthrough Generation Fellow, researching energy access. In an earlier life, Jessica received a BA in Astrophysics from the University of California Berkeley and an MS in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado. She also worked for two years on NASA’s New Horizons mission, which will fly by Pluto in July 2015. In her free time, she enjoys dystopian fiction, ballet, and enjoying the great outdoors.

October 12, 2015January 14, 2019

Rethinking Nuclear: How Can We Change the World’s Cumulative Carbon Emissions Soon Enough?

SPEAKER:

JOSEPH LASSITER III, PH.D.

SENIOR FELLOW, SENATOR JOHN HEINZ PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT PRACTICE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, RETIRED

DATE/TIME:

MON, 10/12/2015 - 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2015 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

Today’s existing nuclear power alternatives as well as renewables are currently forecast by the EIA and IEA to be losing the race with fossil fuels worldwide and are expected to continue do so for the forecast future. A suite of new nuclear power alternatives that is capable of competing economically with fossil fuels (coal in Asia and natural gas in the United States) is on the drawing boards, but time is of the essence if we want to keep cumulative, worldwide CO2 emissions from reaching what could well be threatening levels.

About the Speaker:

Joe is the Senator John Heinz Professor of Management Practice in Environmental Management, Retired. He studies one of the world’s most pressing problems: developing clean, secure and carbon-neutral supplies of reliable, low-cost energy all around the world. He teaches in the Harvard Business School MBA program as well as in Harvard University’s Executive Education programs. In addition to being a Senior Fellow at HBS, he is a Faculty Fellow of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program (HEEP) and a Faculty Associate of the Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE). Since joining HBS in 1996, his work has focused on financing high-potential ventures and bringing their innovations to market in different parts of the world. Outside Harvard, he has been an active investor in and director of a wide range of new ventures and public companies.From 1994 to 1996, Professor Lassiter was President of Wildfire Communications, a telecommunications software venture backed by Matrix Partners and Greylock Partners. From 1974 to 1994, he was a Vice President of Teradyne (NYSE/ automatic test equipment) and a member of its Management Committee. Professor Lassiter began his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Department of Ocean Engineering as an Instructor in 1970 and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1972. He received his BS, MS, and PhD from MIT.