Pioneer Research in Nuclear Detection Lab
 

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1979
  • M.S., Texas A&M University, 1975
  • B.S., Texas A&M University, 1973

Background

Began at Tech in Winter 1993 as an Associate Professor. Prior was an Assistant and an Associate Professor at The University of Texas at Austin.

Research

Dr. Hertel performs research that integrates computational radiation transport with radiation measurements.  He has made contributions in computational dosimetry, radiation detection, neutron spectroscopy, radiation dosimetry, radiological assessment, radiation shielding and radiation instrument modeling.

He recently accepted a joint faculty appointment in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is currently the Acting Director of the Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge.  The Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge was established by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and five federal agencies.  The center is to serve as a common resource to assist the participating agencies in the development and application of radiation dosimetry and risk assessment methodologies based on the best available scientific information and to maintain and preserveU.S. expertise in radiation dosimetry.

Previously as the coordinator of the Georgia Tech Focused Research Program on Pioneer Research in Nuclear Detection, Dr. Hertel assembled a multidisciplinary group of researchers on the Georgia Tech campus which continues to address the nuclear detection needs for homeland security, nuclear nonproliferation verification and other related activities. His interest include the improvement of existing instruments, the fabrication of new detector materials and their testing, and the use of both passive and active interrogation to determine the presence of illicit special nuclear materials or radioactive materials.

In addition, Dr. Hertel’s research group has performed neutron spectral and dosimetry measurements in support of different nuclear facilities ranging from PET cyclotrons to used nuclear fuel storage facilities to both research and power reactor facilities.

  • Graduate Student Government Association Faculty of the Year Award, 2006
  • President, Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards, 2008-2009.
  • 11th International Conference on Radiation Shielding. General Chair, 2008
  • Fellow, Health Physics Society
  • American Society for Engineering Education, Nuclear Engineering Division Glenn Murphy Award, 2004
  • Co-Chair, International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) Report Committee 26 on Operational Radiation Protection Quantities for External Radiation, 2010-present
  • Chair, Department of Energy U. S. Scientific Review Group of the Russian Health Studies Program, 2005-present.
  • Member, International Commission of Radiological Protection Task Group on Dose Calculation, 2002-present.
  • Corresponding member, International Commission of Radiological Protection Task Group on Environmental
  • Member, U. S. Department of Energy Joint Senior Review Group, Dosimetry System 2002(DS02)  – Revised Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivor Dosimetry), 2002-2003
  • Certificate of Appreciation, Los Alamos National Laboratory (Environmental, Health, and Safety Division), 2001
  • Registered Professional Engineer in Georgia

Representative Publications

  • K. G. Veinot and N. E. Hertel, Personal Dose Equivalent Conversion Coefficients for Photons to 1 GeV, Radiation Protection Dosimetry 145, 28-25(2011).
  • K. G. Veinot and N. E. Hertel, Personal Dose Equivalent Conversion Coefficients for Electrons to 1 GeV, Radiation Protection Dosimetry 149, 347-352(2012).
  • R. C. Palmer, N. E. Hertel, A. Ansari, R. P. Manger, and E. J. Freibert, Evaluation of Internal Contamination Levels After a Radiological Dispersal Device Incident Using Portal Monitors, Radiation Protection Dosimetry 151, 237-251 (2012).
  • W.E. Bolch, J.L. Hurtado, C. Lee, R. Manger, E. Burgett, N. Hertel, and W. Dickerson,  Guidance On The Use Of Portal Survey Meters For Radiological Triage: Time-Dependent Detector Count Rate Thresholds Corresponding To 50, 250, and 500 mSv Effective Dose For Adult Males And Adult Females, Health Physics 102, 305-325(2012).
  • Nolan E. Hertel, Taiee Liang, Timothy Cahill, Michael L. Littleton, Scott A. Byers, Eric A. Burgett, Neutron Dose Equivalent Rates In The Vicinity Of Waste Containers Containing TRU, the 12th International Conference on Radiation Shielding, Nara, Japan, September 3-7, 2012, Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology (in press).
  • Eric A. Burgett, Elisa N. Hurwitz, Nolan E. Hertel, Christopher J. Summers, Jeff Nause, Na Lu and Ian T. Ferguson,Chapter 12 The Growth of ZnO for Neutron Detectors, Handbook of Zinc Oxide and Related Materials: Volume Two, Devices and Nano-Engineering,Zhe Chuan Feng (Ed.), Taylor and Francis, 2013.
  • N. Petoussi-Henss, W. E. Bolch, K. F. Eckerman, A. Endo, N. Hertel, J. Hunt, M. Pelliccioni, H. Schattl, and M. Zankl, Conversion Coefficients for Radiological Protection Quantities for External Radiation Exposures, The International Commission on Radiological Protection and The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements, Elsevier, Annals of the ICRP: ICRP Publication 116, 2012.