Monitoring criticality risk through neutron noise in degraded nuclear environments

Thesis topic details

General information

Organisation

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.

Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.

The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
  

Reference

SL-DRF-26-0277  

Direction

DRF

Thesis topic details

Category

Corpuscular physics and outer space

Thesis topics

Monitoring criticality risk through neutron noise in degraded nuclear environments

Contract

Thèse

Job description

Our team at CEA/Irfu is working with ASNR to study the possibility of using neutron noise measurements, i.e., stochastic variations in neutron flux, to estimate the reactivity of subcritical nuclear systems. The aim is to propose this technique for online measurement of the reactivity of the corium at Fukushima Daiichi during future decommissioning operations. The thesis work will focus on evaluating a solution based on Micromegas-type neutron detectors (nBLM detectors) developed by IRFU, which are adapted to the extreme gamma radiation expected in the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi corium. The student will participate in experiments at nuclear research facilities in Europe and the United States to test this technical solution and measure neutron noise for a wide range of reactivities. He/she will be responsible for analyzing the data and evaluating the various inversion methods used to estimate reactivity from neutron noise measurements.

University / doctoral school

PHENIICS (PHENIICS)
Paris-Saclay

Thesis topic location

Site

Saclay

Requester

Position start date

01/10/2026

Person to be contacted by the applicant

MATERNA Thomas thomas.materna@cea.fr
CEA
DRF/IRFU/DPhN/LEARN
CEA Saclay
Irfu/SPhN
Bât. 703
91191 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX
0169084091

Tutor / Responsible thesis director

MATERNA Thomas thomas.materna@cea.fr
CEA
DRF/IRFU/DPhN/LEARN
CEA Saclay
Irfu/SPhN
Bât. 703
91191 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX
0169084091

En savoir plus

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas_Materna
http://irfu.cea.fr/dphn/Phocea/Vie_des_labos/Ast/ast_groupe.php?id_groupe=498