Publications

Journal article The fission matrix method for criticality search in Heat-Pipe Micro Reactors

C. Vita, N. Abrate, V. Mascolino, W. Walters, N. Stauff, F. Franceschini, and S. Dulla

Annals of Nuclear Energy, vol. 241, p. 112847

doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2026.112847 (external site)

Journal article Evaluation of locked rotor accident in support of MURR low-enriched uranium conversion

D. S. Yoon, E. H. Wilson, G. S. Wilson, C. Braun, M. Pinilla, G. Wang, E. E. Feldman, V. Mascolino, and W. Mohamed

Nuclear Engineering and Design, vol. 455, p. 114930

doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2026.114930 (external site)Project: OpenMC models of research reactors: JSI TRIGA Mark-II and MURR

Journal article Hydraulic performance evaluation of University of Missouri Research Reactor LEU fuel element – comparison of CFD and empirical methods

G. Wang, C. Bojanowski, E. Feldman, M. Pinilla, W. Mohamed, V. Mascolino, and E. Wilson

Nuclear Engineering and Design, vol. 454, p. 114932

doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2026.114932 (external site)

Journal article Impact of U-10Mo HALEU Fuel Element Tolerances on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor Safety and Operational Performance – Neutronics

V. Mascolino, S. Yang, L. M. Jamison, K. E. Anderson, D. S. Yoon, J. A. Stillman, L.-W. Hu, W. M. Mohamed, and E. H. Wilson

Annals of Nuclear Energy, vol. 219, p. 111307

doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2025.111307 (external site)

Journal article A half-century of nuclear research, education and training: Story of the JSI TRIGA reactor

L. Snoj, K. Ambrožič, L. Barbot, L. Benedik, A. Bratkič, I. Capan, C. Reynard-Carette, V. Cindro, D. Čalič, C. Destouches, B. Geslot, A. Haghighat, R. Henry, M. Horvat, E. Huseynov, G. de Izarra, R. Jaćimović, A. Jazbec, I. Jenčič, R. Jeraj, M. Joyce, D. Kotnik, G. Kramberger, I. Lengar, J. Malec, I. Mandić, V. Mascolino, V. Merljak, M. Mikuž, G. Noguère, J. Peric, A. Pungerčič, V. Radulović, S. Rupnik, B. Smodiš, Z. Šlejkovec, M. Štrok, Ž. Štancar, I. Švajger, N. Thiollay, I. Tiselj, A. Trkov, B. Žefran, G. Žerovnik, Y. Žiber, and T. Goričanec

Annals of Nuclear Energy, vol. 214, p. 111122

doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2024.111122 (external site)

Journal article Monte Carlo Modeling of the MicroCHANDLER Antineutrino Detector During Neutron Beam Irradiation Experiments

V. Mascolino, A. Haghighat, and J. M. Link

Nuclear Science and Engineering, vol. 199, pp. 1772–1793

doi:10.1080/00295639.2025.2471698 (external site)

Conference paper Comparing Fission Matrix Approaches using a JSI TRIGA Mark-II Reactor Model

S. Balouza, M. Krašovic, A. Pungerčič, and V. Mascolino

Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Phoenix, AZ, USA

Project: Real-time 3-D time-dependent neutron kinetics

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

J. LaFore, H. Wang, A. Pungerčič, R. Ponciroli, and V. Mascolino

Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Phoenix, AZ, USA

Project: Validating GRACE: in-core flux from ex-core detectors

Conference paper Preliminary multi-physics study of the influence of solid metallic fission products in the UO₂ fuel of the AP1000 reactor

L. Rizzetto, V. Mascolino, D. Pizzocri, F. Piccagli, and N. Cefis

Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Modelling, Testing and Monitoring of Engineering Structures (MOTEMOES 2026), Piacenza, Italy

Project: Multi-physics modeling of fission-product precipitates in UO₂ fuel

Conference paper Neural Network-Enabled Thermal Feedback Modeling in the Fission Matrix Method

D. Paine and V. Mascolino

Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Denver, CO

Project: ML/AI-enabled simulators and digital twins

Conference paper Solving Large Scale Fission Surface Power Reactor Shielding Problems

M.-J. Wang, J. Johnson, G. Sjoden, N. J. Roskoff, and V. Mascolino

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: radiation shielding

Conference paper Next-Generation Research Reactors: Novel Virginia Research and Education Reactor (VA-RER)

A. Haghighat, T. Franck, B. Seidulla, and V. Mascolino

Proceedings of the International Conference on the Physics of Reactors (PHYSOR 2026), Turin, Italy

Conference paper A Correction Ratio Approach to Fission Matrix Interpolation in Systems with Large Temperature Differences

C. Vita, W. Walters, V. Mascolino, N. Roskoff, F. Franceschini, N. Abrate, and S. Dulla

Proceedings of the International Conference on the Physics of Reactors (PHYSOR 2026), Turin, Italy

doi:10.5281/zenodo.20803590 (external site)Project: ML/AI-enabled simulators and digital twins

Conference paper Modeling the Effects of Salt Loop Flow Rate on Molten Salt Reactor Off-gas Isotopics

A. Macris, S. Shahbazi, O. Chvala, V. Mascolino, and K. Clarno

Proceedings of the International Conference on the Physics of Reactors (PHYSOR 2026), Turin, Italy

doi:10.5281/zenodo.20803166 (external site)

Conference paper On the impact of Lithium Diffusion on the Neutron Activation of Alumina Coatings in the DEMO WCLL Breeding Blanket

L. Piccinini, A. Stinchelli, F. Di Fonzo, V. Mascolino, and N. Cefis

Proceedings of the International Conference on the Physics of Reactors (PHYSOR 2026), Turin, Italy

doi:10.5281/zenodo.20803912 (external site)

Conference paper Development of a Fuel Depletion Benchmark Model for the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment and Demonstration with MCNP-ADDER

S. Shahbazi, L. Chierici, T. Fei, K. Anderson, V. Mascolino, A. Nelson, P. Romano, and A. Stubsgaard

Proceedings of the International Conference on the Physics of Reactors (PHYSOR 2026), Turin, Italy

doi:10.5281/zenodo.20803265 (external site)

Conference paper FIM4NTRA: A Code for Neutronics Analyses Based on The Fission Matrix Method

C. Vita, N. Abrate, S. Dulla, W. Walters, V. Mascolino, N. Stauff, and F. Franceschini

Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, vol. 133, pp. 771–774

doi:10.13182/t133-49227 (external site)

Preprint Uncertainty Quantification for the Fission Matrix Method: A Rigorous Mathematical Framework and Computationally Efficient Alternatives

V. Mascolino

arXiv:2609.33161 (submitted to Nuclear Science and Engineering)

arxiv.org/abs/2609.33161 (external site)Project: Real-time 3-D time-dependent neutron kinetics

Technical report Technical Considerations on MURR Control Blade Design Change and Testing using a New Metal Matrix Composite

V. Mascolino, D. S. Yoon, J. A. Stillman, C. Bojanowski, L. M. Jamison, F. Cetinbas, W. Mohamed, A. Schnieders, M. Pinilla, and E. H. Wilson

Argonne National Laboratory, Tech. Rep. ANL/RTR/TM-24/27

doi:10.2172/2588704 (external site)Project: OpenMC models of research reactors: JSI TRIGA Mark-II and MURR