Reactor and Nuclear Systems Division

Reactor Physics

Overview

Thermal neutron fluxes for a BWR fuel bundle and four PWR fuel assemblies computed with TRITON lattice physics code.

Thermal neutron fluxes for a BWR fuel bundle and four PWR fuel assemblies computed with TRITON lattice physics code. 

Reactor Physics is part of the Reactor and Nuclear Systems Division at ORNL and provides expertise in the areas of nuclear reactor physics, source terms, methods development, and high performance computing to support a variety of sponsors including the Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security. The Reactor Physics staff are key contributors to the SCALE code system including the TRITON lattice physics sequence and the ORIGEN-S and ORIGEN-ARP nuclide depletion and decay codes.

Mission

  • Provide expert analysis and design of nuclear reactors with an emphasis on core physics and radionuclide source terms.
  • Develop and maintain state-of-the-art methods to improve modeling capability for current and future generation nuclear systems and fuel cycles as part of the SCALE development team.
  • Work in an integrated fashion with the Advanced Reactor Systems & Safety and Thermal Hydraulics and Irradiation Engineering Groups of NSTD to provide a complete nuclear reactor system design and analysis capability.
  • Support growing needs in areas of Homeland Security and Nuclear Nonproliferation and Safeguards.

Staff

Publications