Dr Peter Martin
BSc, PhD
Expertise
Dr Martin's research is centred around radiation detection and nuclear materials analysis, with current projects in the UK, USA, Japan (Fukushima) and Ukraine (Chernobyl).
Current positions
Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow
Interface Analysis Centre
Contact
Media contact
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Biography
From his undergraduate degree in Geology (Bristol), Peter then undertook at PhD in Physics (also at the University of Bristol) where he examined the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident of March 2011. This multi-dimensional work involved the use of both unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's) equipped with novel radiation detection systems to explore the meter-scale contamination trends, as well as cutting-edge materials science methodologies to examine the microscopic fallout material that was released into the surrounding environment as a result of one of the worst ever nuclear accidents.
Following a brief time working in industry, with his expertise gained in radiation, detection systems and materials science, in 2020 Peter obtained a highly prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) Research Fellowship, where he works alongside other international experts in the field to develop novel sensory platforms for deployment across multiple applications.
Research interests
Dr Martin is a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow in the School of Physics at the University of Bristol where he conducts a research programme that seeks to develop more responsive, higher-resolution and lower-cost platforms for detecting and preventing the unauthorised movement of radioactive materials, as well as the monitoring networks in which they reside.
Since his PhD at the University of Bristol, Dr Martin has established an extensive collaborative network of supporters in the UK (including; UK Atomic Weapons Establishment, Sellafield, Gunnebo, Sutton House and the UK Atomic Energy Authority) and worldwide; both academic and industrial, including partners in Japan, USA, France, Canada, Ukraine and Portugal.
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
RAIN at Chernobyl
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
Interface Analysis CentreDates
01/09/2021 to 01/10/2021
TRANSCEND Impact Activities Support Fund - Virtual Energy: exploring nuclear engineering challenges through virtual reality.
Principal Investigator
Description
Virtual Energy: exploring nuclear engineering challenges through virtual reality.Managing organisational unit
Interface Analysis CentreDates
01/02/2021 to 31/07/2021
Cabot Institute Innovation Award 2020
Principal Investigator
Description
Re-evaluating Chernobyl: improving our knowledge and understanding of the global radiological hazard associated with the world’s worst nuclear accident through an enhanced monitoring provision.Managing organisational unit
Interface Analysis CentreDates
01/09/2020 to 31/05/2021
University of Bristol International Strategic Fund
Principal Investigator
Description
Facilitating a UK-Japan collaboration to determine post-disaster safety ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.Managing organisational unit
Interface Analysis CentreDates
01/02/2020 to 31/07/2020
STFC IPS - A Collaborative Database to Support the Ongoing Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning
Principal Investigator
Description
Project IPAD: A Collaborative Database to Support the Ongoing Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant DecommissioningManaging organisational unit
Interface Analysis CentreDates
01/11/2019 to 30/04/2020
Publications
Recent publications
01/03/2021An advanced analytical assessment of rare earth element concentration, distribution, speciation, crystallography and solid-state chemistry in fly ash
Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy
Current and Prospective Radiation Detection Systems, Screening Infrastructure and Interpretive Algorithms for the Non-Intrusive Screening of Shipping Container Cargo
Journal of Nuclear Engineering
Radioactive Source Localisation via Projective Linear Reconstruction
Sensors
Sample Preparation Methods for Optimal HS-AFM Analysis
Ultramicroscopy
X-ray nanotomography and electron backscatter diffraction demonstrate the crystalline, heterogeneous and impermeable nature of conodont white matter
Royal Society Open Science
Thesis
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: An Analysis Over 10 Orders of Magniture
Supervisors
Award date
19/06/2019
Related people
Professor David Richards
Professor of Physical Geography
School of Geographical Sciences
Professor Tom Scott
Professor in Materials
Interface Analysis Centre
Dr Dave Megson-Smith
Senior Research Associate
Interface Analysis Centre
Dr Oliver Payton
Senior Research Associate
Interface Analysis Centre
Mr Dean Connor
Research Associate
Interface Analysis Centre