Research Areas
Major areas of research in nuclear engineering include: plasma science, fusion technology, space power, thermal hydraulics, radiation diagnostics and protection, nuclear criticality safety, reactor physics, radiation transport and radiation interactions with matter, and radioactive waste management. The department enjoys extensive interactions and collaborations with Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Air Force Research Laboratory, as well as with the UNM School of Medicine and high technology industries both locally and nationally.
The University of New Mexico (UNM), the flagship institution of higher learning in the State of New Mexico, is a Carnegie Doctoral/Research Extensive University and a Minority and Hispanic-Serving Institution. The Department has ABET- accredited B.S. degree programs and offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Nuclear Engineering with strong involvement of graduate and undergraduate students in ongoing research projects. On site facilities include an AGN-201M low-power, teaching reactor; a functioning Hot-Cell with material testing facilities; a Lead Loop; multiple high-temperature molten salt test facilities; a high-temperature, high-pressure helium test loop; and an Environmental measurements laboratory.
Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics
Mohamed El-Genk, Minghui Chen, Neven Ali
Nuclear Reactor Safety
Small Modular and Molten Salt Reactors
Radiation Detection, Instrumentation, and Diagnostics
Nuclear Nonproliferation and Safeguards, and Cybersecurity
Adam Hecht, Cassiano de Oliveira, Christopher M. Perfetti, Mohamed El-Genk
Neutral and Charged Particle Radiation Transport Methods and Applications
Cassiano de Oliveira, Christopher M. Perfetti
Nuclear Criticality Safety
Nuclear Imaging and Visualization
Hank K. Lee, Neven Ali, Adam Hecht
Fusion and Material Sciences
Sensitivity Analysis, Uncertainty Quantification, and Code Validation
Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion Systems
Radioactive Waste
Advance Fuel Manufacturing
