Multiscale Materials Modelling Group

The Multiscale Materials Modelling (MMM) group focuses on the development and application of simulation methods based on density functional theory (DFT), empirical potentials (force fields), and kinetic Monte-Carlo (kMC). The main tool developed and employed by the group for its modelling activities is the CP2K program package. The MMM group is also member of the CP2K foundation.

Focus areas are currently the modelling of

  • strongly correlated materials based on DFT augmented with a Hubbard U term (DFT+U)
  • irradiation damage in nuclear fuel materials and reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels using force fields and kMC methods
  • mechanical behaviour of fluorite-type oxide materials using DFT and force fields
  • XAFS spectra based on ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations using the MD-EXAFS approach
  • nuclear fuel behaviour with fuel performance codes
  • chemical processes including rare events using accelerated molecular dynamics (AMD) methods especially metadynamics
  • head-end reprocessing studies by thermal and thermo-chemical treatment of fuels (Heracles/Acsept)

MMM Projects

Software projects
Horizon 2020 projects
  • INSPYRE – Investigations Supporting MOX Fuel Licensing in ESNII Prototype Reactors
  • SOTERIA – Safe long-term operation of light water reactors based on improved understanding of radiation effects
  • SAMOFAR – Safety Assessment of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor
  • Bocharov D, Krack M, Rafalskij Y, Kuzmin A, Purans J
    Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of negative thermal expansion in ScF3: the effect of the supercell size
    Computational Materials Science. 2020; 171: 109198 (7 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.commatsci.2019.109198
    DORA PSI
  • Bocharov D, Rafalskij Y, Krack M, Putnina M, Kuzmin A
    Negative thermal expansion of ScF3: first principles vs empirical molecular dynamics
    In: Vol. 503. IOP conference series: materials science and engineering. sine loco: IOP; 2019:012001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/503/1/012001
    DORA PSI
  • Kéri A, Dähn R, Krack M, Churakov SV
    Characterization of structural iron in smectites — an ab initio based X-ray absorption spectroscopy study
    Environmental Science and Technology. 2019; 53(12): 6877-6886. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b06952
    DORA PSI
  • Kéri AG
    Mechanism of metal uptake by clay minerals ― X-ray spectroscopy and molecular modelling study
    2019.
    DORA PSI
  • Liu X, Vinograd VL, Nichenko S, Kulik DA, Lu X, Winkler B
    Emulation of short-range ordering within the compound energy formalism: application to the calcite-magnesite solid solution
    Calphad. 2019; 64: 115-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.calphad.2018.11.012
    DORA PSI
  • Müller P, Karhan K, Krack M, Gerstmann U, Schmidt WG, Bauer M, et al.
    Impact of finite-temperature and condensed-phase effects on theoretical X-ray absorption spectra of transition metal complexes
    Journal of Computational Chemistry. 2019; 40(5): 712-716. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcc.25641
    DORA PSI
  • Becquart CS, Ngayam Happy R, Olsson P, Domain C
    A DFT study of the stability of SIAs and small SIA clusters in the vicinity of solute atoms in Fe
    Journal of Nuclear Materials. 2018; 500: 92-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.022
    DORA PSI
  • Ngayam-Happy R, Cozzo C, Khvostov G, Krack M, Ferroukhi H
    Fuel thermo-mechanical simulations with uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis of the OECD/NEA RIA code benchmark using FALCON and URANIE
    Presented at: ANS Best estimate plus uncertainty International conference (BEPU 2018); May 13-18, 2018; Lucca, Italy.
    DORA PSI
  • Edwards L, LeBlanc D, Rodenburg C, Uhlíř J, Dai Z, Lauritzen B, et al.
    Worldwide activities
    In: Dolan TJ, ed. Molten salt reactors and thorium energy. Cambridge: Elsevier; 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-101126-3.00026-9
    DORA PSI
  • Kéri A, Dähn R, Krack M, Churakov SV
    Combined XAFS spectroscopy and ab initio study on the characterization of iron incorporation by montmorillonite
    Environmental Science and Technology. 2017; 51(18): 10585-10594. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b01670
    DORA PSI
  • Bocharov D, Chollet M, Krack M, Bertsch J, Grolimund D, Martin M, et al.
    Analysis of the U L3-edge X-ray absorption spectra in UO2 using molecular dynamics simulations
    Progress in Nuclear Energy. 2017; 94: 187-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2016.07.017
    DORA PSI
  • Chollet M, Cozzo C, Bertsch J, Martin M, Grolimund D, Samson V-A
    New insights in the fuel grain subdivision during in-plant irradiation up to high burn-up
    Presented at: Water reactor fuel performance meeting 2017 (WRFPM 2017); September 10-14, 2017; Jeju, Korea.
    DORA PSI
  • Chollet M, Cozzo C, Bertsch J
    Positron annihilation spectroscopy study of lattice defects in non-irradiated doped and un-doped fuels
    EPJ Nuclear Sciences and Technologies. 2017; 3: 3. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjn/2016040
    DORA PSI
  • Cozzo C, Bertsch J, Fave L, Rahman S, Dokhane A, Krack M, et al.
    SiC cladding behavior: experiments and modelling at PSI
    Presented at: Water reactor fuel performance meeting 2017 (WRFPM 2017); September 10-14, 2017; Jeju, Korea.
    DORA PSI
  • Guo Z, Ngayam-Happy R, Krack M, Pautz A
    Atomic-scale effects of chromium-doping on defect behaviour in uranium dioxide fuel
    Journal of Nuclear Materials. 2017; 488: 160-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.02.043
    DORA PSI
  • Karanki DR, Rahman S, Dang VN, Zerkak O
    Epistemic and aleatory uncertainties in integrated deterministic and probabilistic safety assessment: tradeoff between accuracy and accident simulations
    Reliability Engineering and System Safety. 2017; 162: 91-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2017.01.015
    DORA PSI
  • Mukin R, Puragliesi R, Ceuca SC, Austregesilo H, Bousbia Salah A
    Thermal mixing assessment using 3-D thermal-hydraulic and CFD codes
    Presented at: 17th international topical meeting on nuclear reactor thermal hydraulics (NURETH 2017); September 3-8, 2017; Xi'an, China.
    DORA PSI
  • Yin W-J, Krack M, Li X, Chen L-Z, Liu L-M
    Periodic continuum solvation model integrated with first-principles calculations for solid surfaces
    Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 2017; 27(2): 283-288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnsc.2017.03.003
    DORA PSI
  • Bocharov D, Krack M, Kalinko A, Purans J, Rocca F, Ali SE, et al.
    Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of the Sc K-edge EXAFS of scandium trifluoride
    In: Grunwaldt J-D, Hagelstein M, Rothe J, Grunwaldt J-D, eds. Vol. 712. Journal of physics: conference series. Institute of Physics Publishing; 2016. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/712/1/012009
    DORA PSI
  • Bocharov D, Chollet M, Krack M, Bertsch J, Grolimund D, Martin M, et al.
    Interpretation of the U L3-edge EXAFS in uranium dioxide using molecular dynamics and density functional theory simulations
    In: Grunwaldt J-D, Hagelstein M, Rothe J, Grunwaldt J-D, eds. Vol. 712. Journal of physics: conference series. Institute of Physics Publishing; 2016. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/712/1/012091
    DORA PSI
  • Brankov V, Khvostov G, Mikityuk K, Pautz A, Restani R, Abolhassani S, et al.
    Analysis of effects of pellet-cladding bonding on trapping of the released fission gases in high burnup KKL BWR fuels
    Nuclear Engineering and Design. 2016; 305: 559-568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2016.06.021
    DORA PSI
  • Brankov V, Khvostov G, Mikityuk K, Pautz A, Wiesenack W
    Characterization of the relocated and dispersed fuel in the Halden reactor project LOCA tests based on gamma scan data
    Nuclear Engineering and Design. 2016; 300: 97-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2015.11.023
    DORA PSI
  • Cozzo C, Ishizaki K, Pouchon MA, Vaucher S
    Developing an in situ EXAFS experiment of microwave-induced gelation
    Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology. 2016; 78(3): 507-513. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-016-3992-5
    DORA PSI
  • Cozzo C, Epiney A, Canepa S, Ferroukhi H, Zerkak O, Khvostov G, et al.
    Full core LOCA analysis for BWR/6 - methodology and first results
    In: Top Fuel 2016. LWR fuels with enhanced safety and performance. LaGrange Park, IL, USA: American Nuclear Society; 2016.
    DORA PSI
  • Khvostov G, Wiesenack W
    Analysis of selected Halden overpressure tests using the FALCON code
    Nuclear Engineering and Design. 2016; 310: 395-409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2016.10.033
    DORA PSI
  • Stirling A, Rozgonyi T, Krack M, Bernasconi M
    Prebiotic NH3 Formation: Insights from Simulations
    Inorganic Chemistry. 2016; 55(4): 1934-1939. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b02911
    DORA PSI
  • Yin W-J, Wen B, Bandaru S, Krack M, Lau MW, Liu L-M
    The effect of excess electron and hole on CO2 adsorption and activation on rutile (110) surface
    Scientific Reports. 2016; 6: 23298 (9 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep23298
    DORA PSI
  • Bertolus M, Freyss M, Dorado B, Martin G, Hoang K, Maillard S, et al.
    Linking atomic and mesoscopic scales for the modelling of the transport properties of uranium dioxide under irradiation
    Journal of Nuclear Materials. 2015; 462: 475-495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.02.026
    DORA PSI
  • Brankov V, Khvostov G, Mikityuk K, Pautz A, Restani R, Abolhassani S, et al.
    Modeling of axial distribution of released fission gas in KKL BWR fuel rods during base irradiation
    In: TopFuel 2015. Reactor fuel performance. Conference proceedings. Part 1. Brussels: European Nuclear Society; 2015.
    DORA PSI
  • Canepa S, Krack M, Ferroukhi H, Pautz A
    Scalability benchmarking methodology for hybrid parallel core calculations with the code nTRACER
    In: Mathematics and computations, supercomputing in nuclear applications and Monte Carlo international conference (M&C+SNA+MC 2015). LaGrange Park, IL, USA: American Nuclear Society; 2015.
    DORA PSI
  • Chollet M, Krsjak V, Cozzo C, Bertsch J
    Positron annihilation spectroscopy study of lattice defects in non-irradiated doped and un-doped fuels
    In: TopFuel 2015. Reactor fuel performance. Conference proceedings. Part 1. Brussels: European Nuclear Society; 2015.
    DORA PSI
  • Chollet M, Krack M, Kuzmin A, Bertsch J, Grolimund D, Martin M
    Theoretical modelling of pristine and chromium-doped UO2
    Presented at: E-MRS 2015; May 11-15, 2015; Lille, France.
    DORA PSI
  • Krack M
    On the ground state electronic structure of uranium dioxide
    Physica Scripta. 2015; 90(9): 94014. https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-8949/90/9/094014
    DORA PSI
  • Kriventsev V, Rineiski A, Pfrang W, Perez-Martin S, Mikityuk K, Khvostov G
    Benchmark on behavior of MOX fuel pin under irradiation at nominal power in sodium fast reactor
    In: TopFuel 2015. Reactor fuel performance. Conference proceedings. Part 2. Brussels: European Nuclear Society; 2015.
    DORA PSI
  • Ngayam-Happy R, Krack M, Pautz A
    Effects of stoichiometry on the defect clustering in uranium dioxide
    Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. 2015; 27(45): 455401. https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/27/45/455401
    DORA PSI
  • Ribeiro F, Khvostov G
    Multi-scale approach to advanced fuel modelling for enhanced safety
    Progress in Nuclear Energy. 2015; 84: 24-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2015.03.022
    DORA PSI
  • Stirling A, Rozgonyi T, Krack M, Bernasconi M
    Pyrite in contact with supercritical water: the desolation of steam
    Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2015; 17(26): 17375-17379. https://doi.org/10.1039/c5cp01146a
    DORA PSI
  • Yin W-J, Krack M, Wen B, Ma S-Y, Liu L-M
    CO2 Capture and Conversion on Rutile TiO2(110) in the Water Environment: Insight by First-Principles Calculations
    Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. 2015; 6(13): 2538-2545. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b00798
    DORA PSI

Contact

Multiscale Materials Modelling Group
Laboratory for Scientific Computing and Modelling
Paul Scherrer Institute
OHSA/D07
5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Head of MMM Group
Dr. Matthias Krack
+41 56 310 5856
Matthias.Krack@psi.ch

Secretary
Viviana Sabatini
+41 56 310 3259
Viviana.Sabatini@psi.ch

Directions to PSI

How to get to the Paul Scherrer Institute (description and map)