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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Center for Used Fuel Research: Building confidence in storage and transport
Used nuclear fuel storage and transportation have reached a critical juncture.
Dozens of utilities need reliable data on how used nuclear fuel performs in dry storage casks and canisters to extend regulatory licenses at sites across the United States. Likewise, the Department of Energy expects to take ownership of the used nuclear fuel—termed “spent nuclear fuel” in the laws and regulations governing its stewardship—and transfer it to one or more federal staging facilities for management and disposition.
Meanwhile, dozens of reactor companies are testing prototypes of advanced reactors and advanced reactor fuels. Eventually, regulators and industry must also verify the safety and security of storage methods for these advanced fuel types.
To help address these challenges, the DOE established the Center for Used Fuel Research (CUFR) in January 2026 for work related to the long-term storage and transport of used nuclear fuel.
Technical Session|Condensed Matter Physics
Wednesday, September 11, 2024|11:00AM–12:30PM EDT|Gold Ballroom
Session Chair:
Alex Landa
Alternate Chair:
Jason R. Jeffries
Session Organizer:
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Probing Bonding Properties of Pu by High Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy and Computations
11:00–11:30AM EDT
Tonya Vitova (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Bianca Schacherl (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Michelangelo Tagliavini (Heidelberg Univ.), Harry Ramanantoanina (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Hanna Kaufmann (Karlsruhe Institute for Technology), David Fellhauer (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Tim Prüßmann (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Karin Popa (European Commission, Joint Research Centre), Olaf Walter (European Commission, Joint Research Centre), Maurits Haverkort (Heidelberg Univ.), Jochen Autschbach (Univ. Buffalo), Paul Bagus (Univ. North Texas)
Paper
Micromechanical Modeling and Experimental Validation of Thermal Strain Accommodation in Two Phase 𝜶 + 𝜹 Plutonium
11:30–11:50AM EDT
Daniel Savage (LANL), Quinton Geller (LANL), Bjorn Clausen (LANL), Travis Carver (LANL), Peter Kenesei (ANL), Jun Sang Park (ANL), Donald Brown (LANL)
Exploring the Local Structures and Temperature Accelerated Aging Effects of Plutonium/Plutonium-Based Materials Using new Facilities, Upgraded Probes, and Uncommon Analysis Techniques
11:50AM–12:10PM EDT
Alexander R. Munoz (LANL), Matthew S. Cook (LANL), Greta L. Chappell (LANL), David C. Arellano (LANL), Derek V. Prada (LANL), Jeremy N. Mitchell (LANL), Eric D. Bauer (LANL), Sarah C. Hernandez (LANL), Neil Harrison (LANL), Paul H. Tobash (LANL), Milinda Abeykoon (Brookhaven), W. Adam Phelan (LANL)
Spin-Orbital-Polarized Density Functional Theory Approach to the Materials Physics of Pu Metal and its Alloys: Theory
12:10–12:30PM EDT
Babak Sadigh (LLNL), Per Soderlind (LLNL), Kyoung E. Kweon (LLNL)
