Technical convergence of nuclear safeguards, nuclear forensics and nuclear security

From the first implementation of safeguards agreements, measurements of nuclear material have formed the backbone of verification measures. The introduction of strengthened safeguards and the ratification of additional protocols (INFCIRC 540) led to the need for more investigative analytical measurements, similar to those implemented for the analysis of nuclear material intercepted from illicit trafficking. The requirement of nuclear forensics, to disclose additional information inherent to nuclear material, triggered the transfer of analytical techniques from the environmental area, from materials science and from the geological and cosmological areas to the safeguards community. This transfer of expertise significantly contributed to the identification of the sources of nuclear materials and the industrial processes to which they have been exposed. The physical security of nuclear material is the responsibility of the State that owns the material. However, with increasing concern over non-State actors, it is important for the wider community to work in cooperation with States to which intercepted nuclear materials might be attributed. During the ESARDA annual meeting 2010, the ESARDA Working Group Techniques and Standards for Destructive Analysis (WG DA) adopted a new Objective in its Action Plan 2010-2012: to emphasise the technical convergence of nuclear safeguards, nuclear forensics and nuclear security by looking at available and new methodologies that serve all three purposes. The WG DA organised dedicated workshops on advancements and applicability of analytical techniques to read signatures in nuclear material and environmental samples, with participation beyond the safeguards community. The aim was to bring together experts from safeguards, nuclear forensics, earth sciences, and particularly from industry. Most recently, immediately prior to this symposium, the ESARDA WG DA held a dedicated workshop on direct analysis of solid samples using LA-ICP-MS, hosted by the HAEA. Furthermore the WG DA interacts with the WG NA/NT (Novel Technologies / Novel Approaches) to evaluate synergies. The WG DA contributed to the revision of the International Target Values for Measurement Uncertainties in Safeguarding Nuclear Materials (ITVs) and a Workshop on Uncertainties in Nuclear Measurements is scheduled for end of this year. These contributions provide operators and inspection authorities with important information on the capabilities and expected performance of analytical techniques. The WG DA has developed DA and forensics modules for training and education that are regularly presented at the ESARDA academic course on Nuclear Safeguards and Non-Proliferation and the BNEN advanced course on safeguards, which are recognised by the European Nuclear Higher Education Network. Additional courses in France and Sweden are scheduled for this year. Dedicated training courses in the nuclear forensics area are offered at the Institute for Transuranium Elements. Moreover, a "European Nuclear Security Training Centre" is being established at the ITU, with support of DG HOME. The EUSECTRA will offer a broad spectrum of training courses including detection of and response to nuclear security incidents and nuclear forensics. Within the WG DA, ESARDA is currently keeping abreast of methodologies applicable in the fields of nuclear safeguards, security and forensics.

AREGBE Yetunde;  MAYER Klaus; 

2013-05-14

ESARDA

JRC65184

978-92-79-18525-0,   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC65184,