Riley J. Hultquist

Riley J. Hultquist is a PhD candidate in nuclear science and engineering whose research investigates structural materials for next-generation nuclear reactors. Using advanced synchrotron-based techniques combined with multiscale calculations, Riley seeks to gain an atomic-level understanding of defect behavior and thermophysical properties of specific materials. As a MathWorks Fellow, he will investigate strain in nanocrystals using diffraction patterns. The manufactured 3D crystal starts as several hundred 2D grayscale images that encode information about the crystal’s structure. Computational algorithms are employed in MATLAB to reconstruct the crystal from these data and study the strained substructures. Riley has used X-ray diffraction experiments to explore the inner workings of the atoms in the crystal lattice and is now studying how lattices respond to irradiation. Using MATLAB, Riley is investigating how crystals form faceted surfaces, and how some of these surfaces are better fit to withstand the damage of bombardment with energetic particles. Riley’s research is delivering key insights into the material properties of nanocrystals and could have important implications for next-generation nuclear reactors, fuel design, and sustainable energy.