Gamma Computed Tomography Intern - Summer 2027
About The Position
Idaho National Laboratory is seeking a Summer 2027 intern to support development and evaluation of gamma-ray computed tomography (CT) methods for nuclear fuel examination. Using fission-product source distributions provided by the INL research team, the intern will develop Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations representative of INL’s Gamma CT instruments and generate simulated projection data (sinograms) for selected source distributions and instrument geometries. The intern will implement and evaluate variance-reduction methods, including importance sampling, to improve computational efficiency while maintaining accurate results. The intern will apply image-reconstruction algorithms to simulated projection data and evaluate image quality using quantitative metrics such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The work will also investigate how acquisition parameters—including the number of angular projections, detector dwell time, and filtering methods—affect reconstruction quality. The project offers hands-on experience in Monte Carlo radiation transport, gamma-ray imaging, computed tomography, image reconstruction, and quantitative image-quality analysis. The team works a 4x10 schedule onsite at the Materials and Fuels Complex campus. Internship start date and duration vary based on the project and student availability. Course credit may be available.
Requirements
- Be enrolled full-time in a PhD program in Nuclear Engineering at an ABET-accredited college or university.
- Have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0.
- Have previously completed a BEA internship within the MFC Reactors and Chief Technologist Group.
- Provide a current resume or CV.
- Provide unofficial transcripts that include current and completed degree programs.
- Provide a current class schedule and number of credits.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with MCNP, SCALE, or ADVANTG.
Responsibilities
- Develop Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations representative of INL’s Gamma CT instruments.
- Generate simulated projection data (sinograms) for selected source distributions and instrument geometries.
- Implement and evaluate variance-reduction methods, including importance sampling, to improve computational efficiency while maintaining accurate results.
- Apply image-reconstruction algorithms to simulated projection data.
- Evaluate image quality using quantitative metrics such as SNR and CNR.
- Investigate how the number of angular projections, detector dwell time, and filtering methods affect reconstruction quality.
Benefits
- Paid holiday time off.
- Travel reimbursement may be available for eligible interns.
- Course credit may be available for the internship.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
