Julia (White) Eigenbrodt

Short Bio:

Julia Eigenbrodt worked with Dr. William Charlton to develop a methodology employing Passive Neutron Albedo Reactivity (PNAR) and passive spectral photon measurements to measure spent nuclear fuel. PNAR was used for measurements of spent nuclear fuel in Japan as well as fresh fuel pins at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and photon measurements were performed on a wide range of spent nuclear fuel pins at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to determine which photon signatures are visible in different sets of fuel. Eigenbrodt worked closely with researchers at LANL beginning in 2009 as part of the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) program. A key objective of international safeguards is the timely detection of the diversion nuclear from peaceful uses of nuclear energy to weapons production. This methodology could be employed as a means of accurately and reliably measuring spent nuclear fuel to verify reactor operating parameters and to detect the diversion of significant quantities of nuclear fuel from reactors or spent nuclear fuel storage facilities. Eigenbrodt earned a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University in 2010. She defended her dissertation in November of 2015 and received her Ph.D. in nuclear engineering in May of 2016. Eigenbrodt is currently employed as a nuclear engineer doing core design and physics support at the FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company in Ohio.

NSSPI Publications:

1. J. Eigenbrodt, "Spent Fuel Measurements: Passive Neutron Albedo Reactivity (PNAR) and Photon Signatures", Ph.D. Dissertation, Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX (2016).


2. J. Eigenbrodt, S.J. Tobin, W.S. Charlton, A.M. Bolind, H.O. Menlove, M. Seya, H.R. Trellue, "PNAR Measurements of Fugen Fuel", 55th Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Atlanta, Georgia, 20-14 July 2014.


3. J. Eigenbrodt, W. Charlton, H.O. Menlove, S.J. Tobin, M. Seya, H.R. Trellue, A.M. Bolind, "Simulations and Preparation for PNAR Measurements of Fugen Fuel", Proceedings of the 35th ESARDA Annual Meeting, 27-30 May, 2013, Bruges, Belgium.


4. J.M. Eigenbrodt, W.S. Charlton, A.A. Solodov, "Sensitivity Analysis and Benchmarking of Low and Broad Energy Photon Measurements for Spent Nuclear Fuel", GLOBAL 2011, Makuhar, Japan, December 11-16, 2011.


5. J. Eigenbrodt, W.S. Charlton, A. Solodov, "Sensitivity of Spent Nuclear Fuel Gamma-Ray Measurements", 52nd Annual Meeting of the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management (INMM), Palm Desert, CA, July 17-21, 2011.


6. J. White, W.S. Charlton, A. Solodov, "Applications of X-ray Fluorescence Fission Product Correlations for Nuclear Forensics", 51st Annual Meeting for the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Baltimore, Maryland, July 11-15, 2010.


7. A. Stafford, W, S. Charlton, J. White, A. Hoover, S. Saavedra, "Spent Nuclear Fuel Self-Induced X-ray Fluorescence Simulations for North Anna and TMI", 2009 Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Tucson, AZ, July 12-15, 2009.