TAMU Nuclear Nonproliferation Research Claudio Gariazzo Nuclear Security Science & Policy Institute Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843 ‐ 3133
NSSPI Mission • We employ science, engineering, and policy expertise to: – Conduct research & development to help detect, prevent, and reverse nuclear and radiological proliferation and guard against nuclear terrorism – Educate the next generation of nuclear security leaders – Analyze the relationship between policy and technology in the field of nuclear security – Serve as a public resource for knowledge and skills to reduce nuclear threats • NSSPI seeks multi ‐ disciplinary technological solutions to problems associated with the malevolent use of nuclear and radiological materials and integrating these technologies within a policy framework
NSSPI Campus and Customer Engagement • NSSPI engages with colleges and departments across TAMU – Engineering, Science, Geosciences, Liberal Arts, Bush School, Agriculture and Life Sciences • NSSPI customers include – DoD/DTRA, DHS/DNDO, DOE/NNSA, State Department, NRC – IAEA, CEIP – ZelTech, AREVA, SAIC, Luminant
NSSPI Array of Activities Students Hands ‐ on Safeguards Workshops Research Education • Graduate and UG courses in • Domestic and international • Innovative research on all aspects of safeguards, security, and safety • Global nuclear security topics safeguards, security, and • Short courses at National • Program emphasizes both science nonproliferation Laboratories and policy concerns • Direct, practical experience with • Founded first INMM student chapter safeguards technology Faculty / Scientist Exchange International Collaborations Informing the Public Distance Education • NSSPI faculty travel to the National • International programs and • Paulo’s Corner daily news digest ‐ • Lectures given to international Labs to teach courses education support news and research on global nuclear students through video conferencing • National Lab researchers maintain • INMM and ESARDA conferences and issues • Nuclear Safeguards Education Portal joint faculty appointments workshops • Searchable database of articles on (NSEP) NSSPI website
Nonproliferation Education • TAMU has one of the most robust technical Selected Courses Selected Courses nonproliferation education programs in the world • • NUEN 605 – Radiation Detection and NUEN 605 – Radiation Detection and Nuclear Materials Measurement Nuclear Materials Measurement • Program includes: NUEN 650 – Nuclear NUEN 650 – Nuclear • • – graduate and undergraduate courses Nonproliferation and Arms Control Nonproliferation and Arms Control – Accredited MS degree in Nuclear Engineering • • NUEN 651 – Nuclear Fuel Cycles and NUEN 651 – Nuclear Fuel Cycles and with a specialization in Nuclear Nuclear Material Safeguards Nuclear Material Safeguards Nonproliferation • • NUEN 656 – Critical Analysis of NUEN 656 – Critical Analysis of – Interdisciplinary nuclear forensics certificate Nuclear Security Data Nuclear Security Data – Tabletop exercises involving political and • • NUEN 489 – Nuclear Security System NUEN 489 – Nuclear Security System Design Design technical aspects of global nuclear security • • CHEM 689 – Radiochemistry and CHEM 689 – Radiochemistry and Other facts: • Nuclear Forensics Nuclear Forensics – Approximately 35 students in the program MATH 644 – Inverse Problems in MATH 644 – Inverse Problems in • • – Over 50 M.S. and 14 Ph.D. degrees awarded Nuclear Forensics Nuclear Forensics since the inception of NSSPI
International Engagement • NSSPI is heavily involved in international activities – Observer status at the IAEA General Conference – Research collaborations with Russia, France, India, and Japan – Educational collaborations in UAE, Russia, India, UK, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan – Nuclear Facilities Experience for students in Japan, UK, France
Research Projects focus on small NSSPI Research Program Areas teams with multiple Combating Nuclear Terrorism disciplines in each team, A framework for detecting smuggled HEU, etc. typically with at least one Nuclear Forensics and Attribution policy expert per team: Rapid attribution with XRF, spent fuel forensics, etc. Engineering (nuclear, • Safeguards Systems & Instrument Development mechanical, electrical, Pu measurement in spent fuel, IAEA instruments, etc. chemical, industrial, and Proliferation Risk Analysis computer science) Proliferation pathways analysis tools, nuclear latency, etc. Mathematics and Statistics • Ensuring the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy Physics • Development of high density LEU fuels, proliferation resistance Chemistry • methodologies, etc. Political & Social Science • Arms Control International Affairs • Analysis of the U.S. ‐ India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, etc. Agricultural and Life Sciences •
Safeguards Instrumentation Development • PWR dry cask storage remote monitoring system CANDU dry cask re ‐ verification • • TMFD for inline Pu measurements at aqueous reprocessing plants • SINRD for pyroprocessing materials Active interrogation DDA and • neutron coincidence counting Epithermal neutron multiplicity • counter for MOX materials • Spent fuel safeguards – NRF, XRF, PG – SINRD, PNAR, CIPN
Spent Fuel Safeguards • Combined SINRD ‐ PNAR instrument developed with LANL – Designed by LANL and TAMU – Built by LANL – Measured spent fuel in Japan in June 2013 with JAEA
Forensics • Pre ‐ detonation • Post ‐ detonation – Signature development for low ‐ – Preprocessor for rapid analysis of burnup CANDU and LMFBR Pu HEU and Pu IND’s – Analytical inverse models for – Field sampling unit for in ‐ field research reactor and commercial alpha ‐ spec measurements power reactor spent fuel samples – Integration of prompt diagnostic – Analysis of trace U isotopes in with radiochemical flowsheet ore samples – Estimate the deterrence value of forensics and attribution
Reactor Analysis • Simulate actinide and fission product inventories (with systematic and random error component estimates) of irradiated fuels for various reactor systems using linked MCNP/ORIGEN – LWR, CANDU, LMFBR, NRX, PBMR, and SMR
Combatting Nuclear Smuggling • Strategic analysis of smugglers • Analysis of background signatures • Analysis of environmental effects • Detector systems development
Consequence Management The resources and equipment • required to evaluate and mitigate radioactive contamination over a large area – This includes land areas, people and agriculture • Research – Developing of portals and techniques to detect radiation on livestock – Evaluation of radionuclide deposition resulting from Fukushima – Evaluating potential doses received to search and rescue dogs while working in contaminated areas
Novel Detection Systems • Research areas – Developing a new type of field multichannel analyzer • Use 3 orders of magnitude less power • Improved computer control – Integrated Circuit detectors • Charged particles • Neutrons • Gammas – Flat Crystal spectrometers for XRF • Use crystals to isolate energies • Improved signal ‐ to ‐ noise ratio of direct XRF measurements
Robotics and Radiation Detection • All Hazard robots may not be best for high radiation environments • Developing specialized robots to: – Take and transmit spectra from extreme radiation environments – Ability to take and analyze samples on board remote vehicle
Nonproliferation Assessments • Proliferation risk analysis with MAUA • Proliferator game analysis using agent ‐ based modeling • Terrorism risk analysis using pathways models for State level nuclear security risks • Latency assessments using Petri Net simulations • Bayesian analysis for assessment of nuclear trade and blackmarket impacts
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