Emeritus Professor Dorothy Duffy

Research summary

See Professor Duffy’s Research Highlights here:

Larger is different

My research is concerned with modelling materials and material processes using simulation techniques such as Molecular Dynamics (MD). Currently my main focus is on modelling radiation damage in materials for nuclear power and fusion and fission applications, in particular plasma facing materials for fusion and ceramics for radioactive waste disposal.

I have developed a method for including the effects of electronic excitations in classical simulations of radiation damage in metals and we are now extending these methods to insulating materials.

I am also interested the effect of organic molecules on inorganic crystal growth. Living organisms have a remarkable ability to control the shape and orientation of crystals, resulting in exceptionally tough minerals, or shells with intricate shapes. Complex organic molecules are known to play an important role in this control, but the detailed mechanism is not well understood. I model interfaces between organic monolayers and calcite crystals in order to gain insight into the growth control mechanism.

I am part of a consortium of researchers from five universities that is investigating bio-material interfaces and their applications.

I am part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the London Centre for Nanotechnology at UCL.

Keywords

Fission Materials, Fusion Materials, Nuclear Materials, Calcite, Carbon, Ceramics, Diamond, Magnesium Oxide, Steel, Biomaterials, Crystal Growth, Defects In Solids, Interfaces, Surface Adsorption, Surfaces, Extreme Conditions, Nanoparticles, Nanorods, Radiation Damage

Links

Publications