Jeremy Osborn

Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

Jeremy Osborn

Jeremy_Osborn_profile_picture

NSSPI Graduate
Nuclear Engineering

M.S., 2014
Ph.D., 2018

Research Group: Nuclear Forensics

Short Bio:

Jeremy Osborn began as an undergraduate researcher with NSSPI. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University as part of a team of researchers at NSSPI who have been working on a project to develop new methods to determine the reactor origins of weapons-grade plutonium, led by Dr. Sunil Chirayath. Osborn developed a non-destructive forensics technique based on using intra-element isotope ratios to determine the reactor type and defended his dissertation, titled "Nuclear Forensics Methodology for Source Reactor-Type Discrimination of Chemically Separated Plutonium," in July of 2018. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher with NSSPI before continuing his career at Sandia National Laboratories.

NSSPI Publications:

  1. E.D. Kitcher, J.M. Osbourn, S.S. Chirayath, "Characterization of Plutonium for Nuclear Forensics Using Machine Learning Techniques", Annals of Nuclear Energy, 170 (2022).

  2. K. Rathore, J. Osborn, M. Fuhrmann, S. Chirayath, "Investigating Iran’s Nuclear Latency Subject to the Status of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action", 60th Annual Meeting of the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management (INMM), Palm Desert, California, 14-18 July 2019.

  3. E.D. Kitcher, J.M. Osborn, S.S. Chirayath, "Sensitivity Studies on a Novel Nuclear Forensics Methodology for Source Reactor-type Discrimination of Separated Weapons Grade Plutonium", Nuclear Engineering Technology, 51, 5 (2019).

  4. K.J. Glennon, J.M. Osborn, J.D. Burns, E.D. Kitcher, S.S. Chirayath, C.M. Folden III, "Measuring Key Sm Isotope Ratios in Irradiated UO2 for use in Plutonium Discrimination Nuclear Forensics", Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 320, 2 (2019).

  5. J.M. Osborn, K.J. Glennon, E.D. Kitcher, J.D. Burns, C.M. Folden III, S.S. Chirayath, "Experimental Validation of a Nuclear Forensics Methodology for Source Reactor-Type Discrimination of Chemically Separated Plutonium", Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 51, 2 (2019).

  6. J. Osborn, "Nuclear Forensics Methodology for Source Reactor-Type Discrimination of Chemically Separated Plutonium", Ph.D. Dissertation, Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX (2018).

  7. J. Osborn, K. Glennon, E. Kitcher, J. Burns, C. Folden, I. III, and S.S. Chirayath, "Computational and Experimental Forensics Characterization of Weapons-grade Plutonium Produced in a Thermal Neutron Environment", Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 50, 6 (2018).

  8. E. Kitcher, J. Osborn , M. Marciniak, G. Garcia, B. Batista, S. Chirayath, "Application of Safeguards to a Molten Salt Reactor", presented at 59th Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Baltimore, Maryland, July 22-26, 2018.

  9. J. Osborn, K. Glennon, E. Kitcher, J. Burns, C. III, S. Chirayath, "Experimental Validation of a Nuclear Forensics Methodology for Source Reactor-Type Discrimination of Chemically Separated Plutonium", presented at 59th Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Baltimore, Maryland, July 22-26, 2018.

  10. J. Osborn, E. Kitcher, J. Burns, C.M. Folden, S. Chirayath, "Nuclear Forensics Methodology for Reactor-Type Attribution of Chemically Separated Plutonium", Nuclear Technology, 201, 1 (2018).

  11. J.M. Osborn, S.S. Chirayath, "Assessment of Inverse Techniques Used in Forensics Attribution Analysis of Trace Nuclide Ratios in Weapons-Grade Plutonium", 9th Annual DNDO Academic Research Initiative (ARI) Grantees Review Meeting, Atlanta, GA, USA, July 11-14, 2016.

  12. J.M. Osborn et al., "Trace fission product ratios for nuclear forensics attribution of weapons-grade plutonium separate from fuel irradiated in thermal and fast reactor types", 8th Annual DNDO Academic Research Initiative (ARI) Grantees Review Meeting, Dallas, TX, USA, July 7-9, 2015.

  13. S.S. Chirayath, J.M. Osborn, and T.M. Coles, "Trace Fission Product Ratios for Nuclear Forensics Attribution of Weapons-grade Plutonium from Fast and Thermal Reactors", Journal of Science & Global Security, 23, 1 (2015).

  14. J.M. Osborn, "Trace Fission Product Ratios for Nuclear Forensics Attribution of Weapons-Grade Plutonium from Fast Breeder Reactor Blankets", M.S. Thesis, Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX (2014).

  15. J.M. Osborn, T.M. Coles, and S.S. Chirayath, "Trace Fission Product Ratios for Nuclear Forensics Attribution of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Separated from Fuel Irradiated in Thermal and Fast Reactor Types", 55th Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Atlanta, Georgia, 20-14 July 2014.

  16. J.M. Osborn et al., "Trace fission product ratios for nuclear forensics attribution of weapons-grade plutonium separate from fuel irradiated in thermal and fast reactor types", 7th Annual NSF-DNDO Academic Research Initiative (ARI) Grantees Review Meeting, Leesburg, VA, USA, June 24-26, 2014.

  17. J.M. Osborn et al., "Isotopic analysis of fast breeder reactor core to support the plutonium fingerprinting for forensics (PuFF) project", 6th Annual NSF-DNDO Academic Research Initiative (ARI) Grantees Review Meeting, Lansdowne, VA, USA, July 30-31 & August 1, 2013.

  18. J.M. Osborn, S.S. Chirayath, W.S. Charlton, "Neutronics Analysis of Fast Breeder Reactor Core to Support the Plutonium Fingerprinting for Forensics (PuFF) Project", INMM 54th Annual Meeting, 14-18 July 2013, Palm Desert, California, USA.

  19. J.M. Osborn, T.M. Coles, A.R. Twaddle, S.S. Chirayath, W.S. Charlton, "Nuclear forensics signature analysis of fast and thermal reactor produced weapons-grade plutonium", 245th American Chemical Society National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, USA, April 7-11, 2013.

  20. J.M. Osborn, T.M. Coles, AR. Twaddle, and S.S. Chirayath, "Neutronics Analysis of Fast Breeder Reactor Core to Support the Plutonium Fingerprinting for Forensics (PuFF) Project", 5th Annual DNDO-NSF ARI Grantees Conference, Leesburg, Virginia, 23-25 July 2012.

  21. J.M. Osborn, C.M. Marianno, A.A. Solodov, W.S. Charlton, "Concrete Characterization Using Gamma-ray Interaction Methods", 53rd Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Material Management, Orlando, FL, July 15-19, 2012.