Modern nuclear security challenges increasingly hinge on computational power, from simulating complex physical systems to extracting insights from large datasets. Computing and Optimization for Nuclear Applications (CONA), a crosscutting research area, advances high-performance computing methods essential to nonproliferation efforts. Students develop skills in AI/ML methods, data analytics, uncertainty quantification, and sensitivity analysis, applying these tools to tackle some of the field’s most pressing computational challenges. In partnership with national lab scientists, students gain hands-on access to advanced computing facilities, including exascale machines, to drive scientific discovery and develop new computational methods for nuclear security and nonproliferation research.
Focus Area Lead: M. Fratoni, University of California, Berkeley