Soha Aslam received her Masters of Engineering (MEng) at Princeton University in May 2020. Prior to joining SGS, Soha graduated with a BSc in Physics with a minor in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. Since then, she conducted a post-baccalaureate research internship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and worked as an engineer on a national fusion experiment at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory for about three years.
Research Interests
I work on advanced nuclear safeguards approaches and have conducted analyses for a new type of thermal mass flow meter designed to monitor nuclear material (UF6) inside gas centrifuge enrichment plants. The mass flow meter is non-invasive and offers real-time monitoring of UF6 flow.
I am also interested in how artificial intelligence is impacting strategic stability, addressing in particular the following questions: What are the military applications of AI that are possible in the near-term? How could these emerging technologies affect strategic stability? And: What are the risks of unintended consequences and strategic surprises from AI?
For my MSE thesis project, I plan to work on “Inspector Bots.” These are autonomous, directionally and spectrally sensitive neutron detectors designed to facilitate IAEA inspections. My role will be implementing the electronics on the robot, ensuring the search and detection algorithm work properly, and running experiments and MCNP simulations to see how the results compare.
Publications
S. Aslam and R. Goldston, Analysis of a UF6 Thermal Mass Flow Meter, 60th Annual INMM Conference, Palm Desert, CA, July 2019.
Talks
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Strategic Stability, 31st International Summer Symposium on Science and World Affairs, Union of Concerned Scientists, Beirut, Lebanon, August 6, 2019.
Analysis of a UF6 Thermal Mass Flow Meter, 60th Annual INMM Conference, Palm Desert, CA, July 15, 2019.
Robots and Nuclear Inspections, 30th International Summer Symposium on Science and World Affairs, Union of Concerned Scientists, Vancouver, Canada, July 9, 2018.