Dr Joseph O'Neill MPhys PhD

• PhD in Physics, University of Surrey, 2023 – Thesis title “Mixed‑Cation Perovskite Scintillators for X‑Ray Detection”
• MPhys (Hons) in Physics, University of Surrey, 2019 – Dissertation title “The Development and Characterisation of Organic Scintillator Neutron Detectors”

Joseph pursued his undergraduate studies in Physics at the University of Surrey, with a focus on solid state materials and experimental nuclear physics. As part of the MPhys programme, he worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, U.S.A., for 10 months in 2018 as part of the Nuclear Astrophysics Group. There he synthesised and fabricated gamma and neutron detectors using various scintillating organic materials, including P‑xylene based liquid scintillator, doped polystyrene plastic and deuterated stilbene crystals.

He continued his studies at the University of Surrey, joining the Radiation and Medical Physics Group under Professor Paul Sellin, working on composite detectors for X/gamma‑ray detection, integrating in‑lab grown perovskite materials with scintillating plastics. This work was in collaboration with the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), for implementation at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron facility, and the Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) in the United States.

Following his PhD, Joseph worked as a Research Fellow at the Surrey Space Centre, leading the development and characterisation of the High Energy Proton Instrument (HEPI), a Cherenkov detector for high‑energy protons in orbit for the European Space Agency and UK Space Agency. This work included a campaign at TRIUMF, the Canadian particle accelerator centre, investigating HEPI’s performance under exposure to proton beams for which he was spokesperson.

Joseph then joined the Nuclear Physics and Applications Group at the University Centre, working with Dr Jack Henderson on neutron detector development for the nuclear security, fusion and neutron spectroscopy fields, collaborating with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), AWE and the UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA). During this project, Joseph was the spokesperson for an experimental campaign undertaken at NPL to investigate the performance of inorganic scintillators under high energy neutron fields.

Throughout his research career, Joseph has collaborated with a broad range of international groups for experiments at various national laboratories and experimental setups, including:

• TRIUMF - Canada (TIGRESS, EMMA, GRIFFIN, DEMAND and DRAGON)
• Argonne National Laboratory - U.S.A (CHICO‑X and GRETINA)
• FRIB - U.S.A. (JENSA and ORRUBA)
• Jyväskylä Accelerator Laboratory - Finland (MARA).

Joseph now continues to work on the development of novel scintillator materials and detectors, focusing on materials that can measure neutron and gamma radiation in mixed field environments and collaborating with UK national laboratories. This is of particular importance in the current landscape as the nuclear fusion, national security and space sectors continue to grow and push the limits of current detector technologies.

PhD student areas:

• Scintillator material radiation hardness
• Organic scintillator development
• Neutron and gamma detectors

• Radiation detectors
• Mixed field (neutron and gamma) radiation sensors
• Radiation hard materials
• Advanced scintillation analysis
• Compact sensors for space missions