Andreas Pautz appointed Head of Nuclear Energy and Safety at PSI

Andreas Pautz is Professor for Nuclear Engineering at EPFL, where he directs the Laboratory of Reactor Physics and System Behavior (LRS) as well as its namesake at PSI. He is also in charge of the joint EPFL/ETHZ Nuclear Engineering Master program, and the safe operation of EPFL’s nuclear research and teaching reactor CROCUS, where, together with his team, he has developed a new experimental reactor physics program. His research focuses on advanced neutron-transport methods for high-fidelity reactor core simulation, the coupling of neutronics with thermal-hydraulics and thermal mechanics for different reactor types, as well as uncertainty and sensitivity analysis with regard to nuclear data.

In his new duties at PSI, Andreas Pautz is responsible for the research directions and strategy of PSI’s Nuclear Energy and Safety (NES) research division, the center of excellence for nuclear energy and safety in Switzerland.

NES currently comprises seven laboratories besides the LRS, including also the Laboratory for Thermal Hydraulics, the Laboratory for Waste Management, the Hot Laboratory, the Laboratory for Nuclear Materials, the Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis, and the Laboratory for Radiochemistry.

With more than 200 employees, NES features some unique experimental facilities, e.g. so-called hot cells, well equipped and shielded zones for work and research on radioactive material. In addition, the Nuclear Energy and Safety research division takes advantage of PSI's large facilities like the Swiss Light Source (SLS) and the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ).

Based on this infrastructure and the know-how of its collaborators, NES is involved in three main topics of research:

• Safety of currently operating light-water reactors
• Safety characteristics of future reactor concepts and related fuel cycles
• Long-term safety of deep geological repositories for nuclear wastes of all kind

The work is carried out on behalf of the Swiss federal government and in close cooperation with Swiss nuclear utilities, the national waste management organization (NAGRA), and the national regulatory authority (ENSI/IFSN). It also includes scientific services for the nuclear power plants. Most of the research is connected to international projects on a multi- or bi-national cooperation basis.