Real-time 3-D time-dependent neutron kinetics
Monte Carlo-level accuracy for 3-D reactor transients, 1,000× faster.
2 papers since 2025
M-PRISM research groupMines Physics of Reactors: Integrated Simulation & Multi-Physics
Valerio Mascolino
Assistant Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Colorado School of Mines
My group builds methods that simulate nuclear reactors with Monte Carlo-level accuracy at a fraction of the cost: hybrid particle transport, real-time 3-D reactor kinetics, and ML-enabled digital twins for advanced reactor design.
10 projects · 19 current and visiting students · 17 open research topics · 8 collaborating institutions
Email me Book a meeting (external site) CV (PDF, 97 KB) Google Scholar (external site)
Research
All projects in detail
ML/AI-enabled simulators and digital twins
Digital twins built on full 3-D transport instead of point kinetics.
2 papers since 2025
Validating GRACE: in-core flux from ex-core detectors
Across seven control-rod configurations, the JSI TRIGA's one-group cross sections change by at most 5.9% on average.
1 paper since 2025
Open-source research reactor design for proliferation resistance
An open OpenMC benchmark of the IAEA-TECDOC-643 plate-type core.
OpenMC model of the JSI TRIGA Mark-II reactor
One detailed model of cores 133 and 189 is the common test bed for our fission-matrix, kinetics, and flux-reconstruction work.
2 papers since 2025
Optimizing radioisotope production at MURR
Our OpenMC model of MURR agrees with MCNP to within 50 pcm in all 12 core and blade states.
2 papers since 2025
Flux-trap design for the POLARIS research reactor
A movable buffer zone tunes the neutron spectrum in the reactor's central irradiation cavity.
1 paper since 2025
GSTR analysis in support of re-licensing
Modern neutronics and thermal-hydraulics models for re-licensing the USGS TRIGA reactor in Denver.
Multi-physics modeling of fission-product precipitates in UO₂ fuel
Linking reactor neutronics to how irradiated fuel changes at the microstructure scale.
1 paper since 2025
Lunar fission surface power: shielding and autonomous control
Most of the dose near a lunar habitat comes through the regolith, not through the reactor shield.
1 paper since 2025
Latest news
All news: Samah Balouza and Jake LaFore: ANS Winter Conference, Phoenix · ANS Winter Conference, Phoenix
PhD student Samah Balouza and undergraduate Jake LaFore each lead a paper on the JSI TRIGA Mark-II reactor at the 2026 ANS Winter Conference & Expo in Phoenix, Arizona.
Comparing Fission Matrix Approaches using a JSI TRIGA Mark-II Reactor ModelSamah Balouza
Evaluation of the Effect of Control Rod Positioning on One-Group Effective Nuclear Data for Ex-Core Flux Reconstruction in the JSI TRIGA Mark-II ReactorJake LaFore
: Advances in Open-Source Research Reactor Design with OpenMC and ADDER for Proliferation Resistance Optimization · RERTR-2026, Osaka
Advances in Open-Source Research Reactor Design with OpenMC and ADDER for Proliferation Resistance Optimization
Collaborators from Argonne National Laboratory will present this work by undergraduate Thomas McCoy at RERTR-2026, the 46th International Meeting on Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors in Osaka, Japan: in Panel 1 and in the evening poster session.
: Thomas McCoy: Family & Friends Weekend, Mines · Family & Friends Weekend, Mines
Undergraduate Thomas McCoy presented his OpenMC model of the IAEA-TECDOC-643 research reactor core to families and friends of Mines students at the Mechanical Engineering Open House. Beside his poster ran a 3-D viewer he built with Claude Code, in which simulated neutrons travel through the core.
Thomas at the Mechanical Engineering Open House, Labriola Innovation Hub. His neutron viewer runs on the screen at right. Photo: Valerio Mascolino. : The postdoc in my terminal: agentic AI across a real research workflow · ME faculty meeting, Mines
The postdoc in my terminal: agentic AI across a real research workflow
I spoke to the Mechanical Engineering faculty, at a session hosted by the department AI Committee, about using an AI agent (Claude Code) in research. Over four weeks it worked with me on three projects: a paper, a C++ simulation engine, and a study. Two agents ran live demos during the talk.
Recent publications
All publicationsBold: V. Mascolino · Dotted underline: student in the group
Journal articles
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Feb 2027
Journal article The fission matrix method for criticality search in Heat-Pipe Micro Reactors
Annals of Nuclear Energy, vol. 241, p. 112847
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Aug 2026
Journal article Evaluation of locked rotor accident in support of MURR low-enriched uranium conversion
Nuclear Engineering and Design, vol. 455, p. 114930
doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2026.114930 (external site)Project: Optimizing radioisotope production at MURR
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Aug 2026
Journal article Hydraulic performance evaluation of University of Missouri Research Reactor LEU fuel element – comparison of CFD and empirical methods
Nuclear Engineering and Design, vol. 454, p. 114932
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Sep 2025
Journal article Impact of U-10Mo HALEU Fuel Element Tolerances on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor Safety and Operational Performance – Neutronics
Annals of Nuclear Energy, vol. 219, p. 111307
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Apr 2025
Journal article Monte Carlo Modeling of the MicroCHANDLER Antineutrino Detector During Neutron Beam Irradiation Experiments
Nuclear Science and Engineering, vol. 199, pp. 1772–1793
Conference papers
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Nov 2026
Conference paper Comparing Fission Matrix Approaches using a JSI TRIGA Mark-II Reactor Model
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Nov 2026
Conference paper Evaluation of the Effect of Control Rod Positioning on One-Group Effective Nuclear Data for Ex-Core Flux Reconstruction in the JSI TRIGA Mark-II Reactor
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Project: Validating GRACE: in-core flux from ex-core detectors
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Jun 2026
Conference paper Neural Network-Enabled Thermal Feedback Modeling in the Fission Matrix Method
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, vol. 134, pp. 652–655
www.ans.org/pubs/transactions/article-60760/ (external site)Project: ML/AI-enabled simulators and digital twins
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Apr 2026
Conference paper Solving Large Scale Fission Surface Power Reactor Shielding Problems
Proceedings of the International Conference on the Physics of Reactors (PHYSOR 2026), Turin, Italy
doi:10.5281/zenodo.20803193 (external site)Project: Lunar fission surface power: shielding and autonomous control
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Apr 2026
Conference paper Next-Generation Research Reactors: Novel Virginia Research and Education Reactor (VA-RER)
Proceedings of the International Conference on the Physics of Reactors (PHYSOR 2026), Turin, Italy
Team
All 19 members- Samah BalouzaPhD
Vittoria BellaniMaster's- Jake LaForeUndergraduate
Thomas McCoyUndergraduate
Daris PaineUndergraduate
Students
Do reactor physics research with us
17 research topics, from real-time reactor kinetics to digital twins for lunar reactors, each broken into concrete tasks for PhD, MS and undergraduate students.
Collaborating institutions
Argonne National Laboratory (external site)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (external site)
Jožef Stefan Institute (external site)
University of Missouri Research Reactor (external site)
Politecnico di Milano (external site)
Politecnico di Torino (external site)
Virginia Tech (external site)
University of Texas at Austin (external site)