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