Dr. Luka Snoj, Head of Reactor Physics division (Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia), Professor (Ljubljana University), Adjunct professor (Virginia Tech) will give a talk entitled "From Benchmarks to New Designs: JSI TRIGA and Next-Generation Research Reactors".

November 07, 2025

@10:10 am, 6-051, VTRC, Arlington (in-person) , 440 Goodwin Hall, Blacksburg
For remote access, click here to register.

Abstract
The Jožef Stefan Institute operates a TRIGA Mark II research reactor that has supported education, training and research since 1966. The facility is a low-power, versatile platform (250 kW steady-state with short-pulse capability) used for hands-on education and training, nuclear-instrumentation testing, radiation-hardness testing, radiolytic chemistry, and reactor-physics benchmark experiments. JSI conducts benchmark experiments that remain relevant for validation of modern reactor-physics codes and nuclear-data evaluation. Representative activities include reaction-rate profiling, reactor-kinetics studies, burn-up experiments, and contributions to international benchmark compilations such as the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) and the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP), both coordinated by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency.

The second part of the talk places JSI’s operational experience in the context of emerging priorities for next-generation research reactors, including small modular reactors and fusion test facilities. Recent national and international studies identify the need for higher-performance, more flexible irradiation platforms, improved in-core instrumentation, and multipurpose designs that support advanced Multiphysics experiments while preserving education and training missions. In the end the recently initiated project to build a new reactor VERONICA- Versatile European Reactor for Neutron Irradiation and Nuclear Research will be presented and opportunities for collaboration

Bio
Luka Snoj received the Diploma and PhD thesis in Physics from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2005 and 2009, respectively. In 2010, he was on 6 months postdoctoral position at Culham centre for Fusion Energy, where he was charge of neutron transport calculations to support JET neutron yield calibration.
In 2010 has been appointed head of TRIGA reactor at the Jozef Stefan Institute (JSI). Since 2014 he has been head of reactor physics division at the Jozef Stefan Institute. He is very active in teaching; reactor and radiation physics, experimental reactor physics at the Faculty of mathematics and physics where in 2024 he was elected full professor. Since 2021 he has been appointed an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at Virginia Tech. He has been advisor to 21 master theses and is advisor to 7 PhD students

His research interest is mainly theoretical reactor physics related to practical applications in power and research reactors, in particular: Monte Carlo transport of neutrons and photons in fission and fusion nuclear reactors, integral reactor experiments, criticality experiments and calculations. He regularly performs evaluations and evaluation reviews of critical and reactor physics experiments for International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) and International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation (IRPhE) Project working groups under OECD/NEA. Since 2009 he has been directly involved in many international experimental campaigns in which he provided calculations support. That is calibration of neutron monitors to DD and DT neutrons at the Joint European Torus in Culham, UK and many reaction rate and physical parameter measurements at the JSI TRIGA reactor.

He has been project leader of many domestic and international projects for governmental agencies, EU and domestic as well as international industrial partners. Currently he is a leader of project on Water activation studies to support ITER operation and a feasibility study project on new research reactor in EU, i.e. VERONICA- Versatile European Reactor for Neutron Irradiation and Nuclear Research.