The main technological agenda relating to nuclear power is not just to do with the production of materials for reactors but also the significant residues of radioactive material that is a by-product. Concerns over these residues (and accidents with them) have encouraged the development of Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATFs). These may not address the problem of waste directly, but certainly point towards ways of avoiding some well-known problems with energy production itself – preventing meltdown scenarios, for example, like that tragically observed on the Japanese coast. But ATFs are still immature, technologically. There is a paucity of research reactors that allow scientists to investigate how ATFs perform in reality rather than theoretically, for example. This project is concerned with developing better ATFs through computation.

Jade completed her undergraduate studies at University College London, obtaining an MSci in Physics in 2019. Currently, she is performing computational studies under the supervision of Dr Samuel Murphy, specifically using simulations to gain insight into Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) behaviour in reactors and to understand the role that fission products play in fuel characteristics. Alongside this, Jade is researching public understanding of the nuclear energy industry under the supervision of Dr Emily Spiers, and is working as part of the Material Social Futures programme at Lancaster University.