Sean Martinson

Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

Sean Martinson

Sean_Martinson_profile_picture

NSSPI Graduate
Nuclear Engineering

Ph.D., 2022

Research Group: Safeguards Systems Analysis and Instrumentation

Short Bio:

Dr. Martinson graduated in Fall 2022 with a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University. As a Ph.D. student under Dr. Sunil Chirayath, his research focused on nuclear forensics, international safeguards and nonproliferation. His dissertation project involved validating Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) models of irradiated LEUO2 within the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) through destructive and nondestructive assay measurements. He has expertise in MCNP reactor modeling, radiation detection, and radiochemistry. During his graduate studies, Dr. Martinson was funded by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fellowship program as a Consortium for Monitoring, Technology and Verification (MTV) fellow. He has completed internships with Y-12 National Security Complex and Argonne National Laboratory. Furthermore, he was a recipient of the Glenn T. Seaborg Fellowship, which allowed him to perform work at Los Alamos National Laboratory for three months with NEN-1. Following the Seaborg Fellowship, Dr. Martinson remained at Los Alamos for five additional months as a graduate researcher. During his time with Los Alamos, his work focused on the Decay Energy Spectroscopy (DES) method. He also had the opportunity to tour nuclear fuel cycle facilities and learn from leading nuclear safeguards experts within the United Kingdom as a part of an International Nuclear Facilities Experience (INFE).

NSSPI Publications:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. S. Martinson, J. Garcia, I. Haynes, S. Saini, E. Wagner, G. Long, C. III, S. Chirayath, "Nondestructive and destructive assay for forensics characterization of weapons-grade plutonium produced in LEU irradiated in a thermal neutron spectrum", Annals of Nuclear Energy, 183 (2023).

  4. S.P. Martinson, "Destructive and Nondestructive Analyses of Plutonium Separated from a Low-Burnup Now-Enriched Uranium for Nuclear Forensics", Ph.D. Dissertation, Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX (2022).

  5. S. Martinson, "Analysis of Destructive and Nondestructive Assays of Irradiated LEU Fuel Material for the Validation of MCNP and Nuclear Forensic Methodologies", 63rd Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM), Virtual Conference, 25-27 July 2022.

  6. S.P. Martinson and S.S. Chirayath, "Monte Carlo neutronics benchmarks on nuclear fuel depletion: A review", Annals of Nuclear Energy, 161 (2021).

  7. C. Gariazzo, A. Poczatek, S. Martinson, and D. Farley, "Quantum Information Science And Its Implications For International Safeguards", INMM and ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, August 23 - September 1, 2021.

  8. S. Martinson, S. Chirayath, "Review Of Monte Carlo Neutronics Isotopic Validation Studies On Nuclear Fuel Depletion", INMM and ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting, Virtual Meeting, August 23 - September 1, 2021.

  9. S.P. Martinson and S.S. Chirayath, "Review: Monte Carlo Neutronics Validation Studies of Burned Nuclear Material", Transactions of American Nuclear Society, 124, 580-583, June, (2021).

  10. A. Milojevich, S. Martinson, C. Marianno, S. Chirayath, J. Creasy, "Enhancing Research Reactor Safeguards Through the Use of Mailbox Declarations", 60th Annual Meeting of the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management (INMM), Palm Desert, California, 14-18 July 2019.

  11. S. Martinson, A. Milojevich, C. Marianno, and S. Chirayath, "Misuse of Research Reactors and Technical Parameters for Potential Mailbox Declarations", Poster. 60th Annual Meeting of the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management (INMM), Palm Desert, California, 14-18 July 2019.

  12. M.M. Mendoza, A.A. Sagadevan, J.N. Wagner, S.S. Chirayath, E.D. Kitcher, H. Rysz, L. Anuar, A. Perry, A. Maldonado, M. Ramirez, D. Mulyana, A. Edwin, S. Martinson, "Advanced Reactor Safeguards Workshop at Texas A&M University", Poster. 60th Annual Meeting of the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management (INMM), Palm Desert, California, 14-18 July 2019.