
Short Bio:
Patrick O’Neal earned his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University in May of 2024. and his M.S. degree in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University in Spring 2020. For his Master’s project, he worked with Dr. Chirayath on a project to diagnose vulnerabilities in the thorium fuel cycle. This work involves analyzing the ability of different facilities to covertly produce weapons usable uranium-233 and devising safeguards solutions to prevent against this eventuality. For his Ph.D., he worked on a machine-learning-based nuclear forensics methodology. He has previously conducted graduate research developing a methodology to perform combined analysis of nuclear facility security and safety risk for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters, and mentored a team of undergraduate students developing a remote holdup monitor for the Y-12 National Security Complex. O’Neal graduated cum laude with his B.S in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University in May of 2016. After graduation, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher with NSSPI before joining Argonne National Laboratory.
NSSPI Publications:
- D. Frank, M. Dzur, S. Chirayath, F. Naqvi, R. Weinmann-Smith, P. Simon, P. O'Neal, Q. Burke, "Localization and Quantification of Nuclear Material in Hot Laboratories: A Geometric Solution for NMC&A", Institute of Nuclear Materials Management Annual Meeting, 21-25 July 2024, Portland, Oregon.
- P. O'Neal, "Development and Verification of a Nuclear Forensics Methodology for the Attribution of Plutonium Using Data Science Methods", Ph.D. Dissertation, Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX (2024).
- P. ONeal, S. Martinson, S.S. Chirayath, "Validation of a Machine-learning-based Nuclear Forensics Methodology for the Discrimination of a Chemically Separated Plutonium Sample from Low-enriched Uranium", Nuclear Science and Engineering, available online: 14 November 2023.
- S. Martinson, S. Chirayath, P. O'Neal, "Experimental Validation Of Nuclear Forensics Methodologies For Reactor-type Attribution, Burnup Determination, And Time Since Irradiation Estimation", INMM/ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting, 22-26 May 2023, Vienna, Austria.
- P. O'Neal S.S. Chirayath, "Quantifying the Effect of Measurement Uncertainty on Separated Plutonium Attribution Methodology", INMM/ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting, 22-26 May 2023, Vienna, Austria.
- P. O'Neal, "Using Machine Learning Techniques to Verify Mixed Plutonium Sample Attributes", 63rd Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM), Virtual Conference, 25-27 July 2022.
- P.J O'Neal, S.S. Chirayath, and Q. Cheng , "A Machine Learning Method for the Forensics Attribution of Separated Plutonium", Nuclear Science and Engineering, 196,7 (2022).
- P. O'Neal and S. Chirayath, "Attribution Of Separated Plutonium Using Machine Learning Techniques", INMM and ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, August 23 - September 1, 2021.
- K. J. Glennon, E.M. Bond, T.A. Bredeweg, S.S. Chirayath, P.J. O'Neal, C.M. Folden III, "Nuclear forensics methodology identifies legacy plutonium from the Manhattan Project", Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, (2021).
- P.J. O. Neal, S.S. Chirayath, "Separated Plutonium Attribution using Machine Learning Techniques", Transactions of American Nuclear Society, 124, 428-431, June, (2021).
- P. O'Neal, "Comparison of U-233 Production by Thorium Irradiation in Heavy Water Reactor and Accelerator-Driven Subcritical Pile", M.S. Thesis, Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX (2020).
- J. King, S. Chirayath, E. Aboud, V. Bautista, P. Behne, H. Boo, R. Brownfield, J. Chisholm, K. Cook, A. Edwin, H. Kistle, P. O’Neal, E. Ordonez, M. Ramirez, S. Ricketts, R. Suh, "Safety Evaluation of a Spent Fuel Dry-Storage Canister with Various Fill Materials", Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, 120 (2019).
- S.S. Chirayath, P.J. O'Neal, "Methodology Development for Combined Evaluation of Security and Safety Risk", Transactions of American Nuclear Society, 2017 ANS Winter Meeting, October 29-November 2, (2017).