Shomik Mukhopadhyay, a PhD candidate at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), performs research in MSEE’s Research Area 3 – Focus Area 1: Nuclear Fireball Plasma Chemistry. As a member of Edward Dreizin’s group, Mukhopadhyay works to understand the spread of radioactive dust particles after nuclear blasts, specifically focusing on how dust particles rise vertically into clouds. In the video below, produced by NJIT, Mukhopadhyay explains how he and his colleagues simulate some of the effects nuclear blasts and observe the behavior of dust particles in the aftermath.

As Mukhopadhyay explains, he aims to understand the potential impact of characteristics like particle shape, density, and electrical conductivity on dust particle behavior. This knowledge will help researchers to better understand, describe, and predict the spread of radioactive dust from nuclear detonations.

MSEE collaborators typically work with colleagues in other research areas and at other institutions, and Mukhopadhyay is no exception. He is shown in this video working with Evelyn Ayers, an ROTC Cadet from the Georgia Institute of Technology, who worked with Edward Dreizin’s lab as part of a Nuclear Science and Engineering Research Center (NSERC) summer internship. Mukhopadhyay has also collaborated with Debbie Levin’s team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne and traveled to Cornell University to use facilities at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS).