Estimating Attributes of Nuclear Weapon and Other Fissile Material Configuration Using Features Of Nuclear Materials Identification Signatures

Technical Report · Tue Aug 24 00:00:00 EDT 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/12462· OSTI ID:12462

mattingly, j k; mihalczo, j t; mullens, j a; perez, r b; valentine, t e

This brief describes a strategy that, when implemented, will allow the attributes, i.e., the physical properties, of nuclear weapon and other configurations of fissile material to be estimated from Nuclear Material Identification System (NMIS) signatures for arms control, treaty verification, and transparency purposes. Attributes are estimated by condensing measured NMIS signatures into ''features'' that approximately represent physical characteristics of the measurement such as gamma-ray transmission, induced fission, etc. The features are obtained from NMIS signatures to estimate quantities related to gamma and neutron transmission through the inspected item and gamma and neutron scattering and production via induced fission within the inspected item. Multivariate, i.e., multiple-feature, linear models have been successfully employed to estimate attributes, and multivariate nonlinear models are currently under investigation. Attributes estimated employing this strategy can then be examined to test the supposition that the inspected item is in fact a nuclear weapon.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Defense Programs (DP) (US); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 12462
• Report Number(s): YLB-16,015,R1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ARMS CONTROL
FISSILE MATERIALS
GAMMA DETECTION
IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS
NEUTRON DETECTION
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
PATTERN RECOGNITION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SCATTERING
TREATIES
VERIFICATION