Abstract:
In the spirit of Glenn Knoll, I will discuss the continuing evolution of radiation detection and related technologies and how they impact outstanding challenges in our society. The focus will be on efforts within our Berkeley Applied Nuclear Physics program which engages in a wide range of developments and demonstrations of advanced radiation detection, imaging, and multi-sensor fusion concepts and technologies addressing questions in fundamental physics and medicine as well as environmental management, nuclear security, and emergency response. Recent developments in radiation detection and imaging in combination with the enormous advances in computer vision and data processing enable unprecedented capabilities in the detection, mapping, and visualization of radiological and nuclear materials even in complex and unconstrained environments. In parallel, developments in nuclear instrumentation can also be utilized to enable new fundamental physics studies to improve the understanding of the structure of nuclei, rare decay processes such as the neutrino-less double beta decay, or the evolution of nuclear synthesis in our universe. In addition, they permit important insights in the development and monitoring of advanced concepts in the treatment of cancer. Finally, advanced concepts in the assessment and visualization of radioactive materials can help to mitigate some of the misperceptions of nuclear radiation which remains one the obstacles in the use and expansion of nuclear energy and an important driver of detrimental health effects after radiological incidents.

Biosketch:
Kai Vetter is Professor, Vice Chair, and Head Graduate Advisor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley; He holds a joint position as Faculty Senior Scientist and Head of the Applied Nuclear Physics program at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and is co-founder of Gamma-Reality Inc. He obtained his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics at the University of Frankfurt in Germany. Professor Vetter’s main research interests are in the development and demonstration of new concepts and technologies in radiation detection to address some of the outstanding challenges in fundamental sciences, nuclear security and safety, and health. He leads and oversees a wide range of developments in radiation detection and imaging and the fusion of nuclear with complementary data that are relevant for example in the mapping of contamination in Fukushima or the verification of ion-cancer therapy. He founded the Institute for Resilient Communities that was established in 2015 to address the need to better integrate advancements in sciences and technologies with communities locally and globally. Prof. Vetter initiated and still oversees the Berkeley Radwatch and DoseNet programs with the goal to engage the next generation in performing environmental measurements employing fundamental science and engineering concepts and to expand across regions, nations, and cultures. He has authored and co-authored more than 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals and is fellow of the American Physical Society. He received Presidential Citations from the American Nuclear Society twice, for his engagement in Fukushima through measurements and enhancing community resilience.

This lecture series has been made possible by a generous endowment from Gladys Hetzner Knoll. “Glenn’s first love was his students and their research. He always enjoyed the contact he had with graduate students. This lecture series is a way that Glenn’s legacy can encourage engagement between the University of Michigan students and researchers in radiation measurement,” said Gladys, Professor Knoll’s wife. “The NERS department has been like an extended family to the Knoll family, and it has been a delight to us to see it grow both in size and prestige. Glenn and I both took pride in the achievements of the faculty and their graduates, and we felt that they, collectively, did work that makes our world better and safer. This is part of our legacy, too.”