By Jaime Cookson
A PhD student at Oregon State University, Jackson Harter spent his time at INL doing research to predict thermal conductivity in nuclear fuels. He hopes to be able to combine two applications in the MOOSE (Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment) family—Rattlesnake and Marmot—to make these predictions.
Part of Harter’s master’s thesis demonstrated that researchers could use Rattlesnake to simulate phonon transport, although the application typically uses a neutron transport code. Working at INL offered Harter an opportunity to build upon this research.
The prospect of making a difference in the world of energy production inspired Harter to leave a career as a cook to study nuclear engineering.
“I’m devoted to a future which includes nuclear power as a clean source of energy,” he said.
Harter said coming to INL was beneficial in working toward this goal, and that he enjoyed being around people who share his passion of supporting clean energy.
After work, Harter took advantage of Idaho’s wilderness by going fly fishing on the Snake and Madison rivers. He also enjoys yoga, biking, and continuing to learn coding in his spare time.
This was the second summer Harter interned at INL, and he can see the lab in his post graduate future. “I really like Idaho Falls, I like this lab, and I like the fact that this is DOE’s premier energy research laboratory,” he said.
In the meantime, Harter said he enjoys being a part of the clean energy movement and remains passionate about communicating openly with the public and being an advocate for nuclear energy.
