Nuclear forensics summer program trains students for a future in nuclear security

Carter worked with Gharibyan and nuclear engineer Lucile Dauffy on Monte Carlo code modeling, which allows researchers to understand the post-shot neutron environment inside the National Ignition Facility. In support of post-detonation nuclear forensic research, Carter’s code simulated the dispersal of neutrons in the target chamber, which contains different diagnostic instruments and experimental platforms. “The more you compute,” Carter reasons of the workload, “the more accurate you can get.”

Valuable opportunities
In addition to collaborating on projects and attending a seminar series, the program’s students participate in LLNL’s Student Poster Symposium. Emphasizing the program’s intensity, Hoffman says, “Eight weeks pushes you to make the most of it.” Carter is impressed with scientists’ willingness to include students in their work, and notes that prospective interns should not be afraid to approach mentors with questions. Hoffman agrees: Mentors listen to students’ opinions and provide ample training while also granting interns independence. “I feel valued,” she says.

For both of these students, exposure to LLNL’s scientists and facilities is a one-of-a-kind opportunity. Hoffman used the Laboratory’s scanning electron microscope and NanoSIMS (nanoscale high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometer), while Carter received an in-depth tour of the National Ignition Facility’s target chamber. Zavarin enjoys seeing students develop as researchers and learn how to communicate with, as he calls it, “the language of science.”

Beyond specific projects, mentors are glad to guide interns. For Gharibyan, mentoring offers two-way benefits: “It gives me an opportunity to think about my work from a more fundamental perspective,” he explains, while students gain hands-on experience at a national laboratory.

Paying It Forward
LLNL says that summer projects can influence students’ graduate work beyond Livermore. For example, Hoffman plans to evaluate soil samples at her university and apply LLNL-learned experiments to other isotopes. Carter wants to extend his Monte Carlo knowledge to simulate radiation transport within nuclear reactors and safeguards.

Gharibyan enjoys helping students kick off their careers and hopes interns continue passing knowledge to the next generation, just as he has done — Gharibyan interned at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Seaborg Institute before completing his Ph.D.. For students considering the summer program, Hoffman advises, “Come prepared to give input and work hard.”

Many former interns have returned to LLNL as postdoctoral researchers and employees. Some students receive Laboratory-funded scholarships, while others network with mentors for professional opportunities. As Zavarin summarizes, “We take the long view with students’ development.”

Given the small community of nuclear science and its importance to the Laboratory, Zavarin emphasizes the need for growth. He and his colleagues strengthen the workforce pipeline by promoting the Seaborg Institute and the summer program at national meetings and invited talks, and through education partnerships with Washington State University, the Colorado School of Mines and the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium (link is external) at the University of California, Berkeley. The Seaborg Institute also hosts San Jose State University’s National Nuclear Chemistry Summer School (link is external) students for a day at the Laboratory. “Our summer program is one piece of a bigger puzzle,” says Zavarin. “The network of programs is providing a critical mass of young nuclear scientists for the nation.”