Physical cryptographic verification of nuclear warheads

Kemp, R. Scott; Danagoulian, Areg; Macdonald, Ruaridh R.; Vavrek, Jayson R.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1603916113

Title: Physical cryptographic verification of nuclear warheads

Abstract

How does one prove a claim about a highly sensitive object such as a nuclear weapon without revealing information about the object?This paradox has challenged nuclear arms control for more than five decades. We present a mechanism in the form of an interactive proof system that can validate the structure and composition of an object, such as a nuclear warhead, to arbitrary precision without revealing either its structure or composition. We introduce a tomographic method that simultaneously resolves both the geometric and isotopic makeup of an object. We also introduce a method of protecting information using a provably secure cryptographic hash that does not rely on electronics or software. These techniques, when combined with a suitable protocol, constitute an interactive proof system that could reject hoax items and clear authentic warheads with excellent sensitivity in reasonably short measurement times.

Authors:

Kemp, R. Scott ^[1]; Danagoulian, Areg ^[1]; Macdonald, Ruaridh R. ^[1]; Vavrek, Jayson R. ^[1]

Laboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139

Publication Date:: 2016-07-18

Research Org.:: Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development (NA-22)

Contributing Org.:: aLaboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Lab. for Nuclear Security and Policy

OSTI Identifier:: 1264781

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1367519; OSTI ID: 1367533

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0002534

Resource Type:: Published Article

Journal Name:: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Volume: 113 Journal Issue: 31; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424

Publisher:: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; isotopic tomography; nuclear weapons; disarmament; verification

Citation Formats


                    Kemp, R. Scott, Danagoulian, Areg, Macdonald, Ruaridh R., and Vavrek, Jayson R.. Physical cryptographic verification of nuclear warheads.  United States: N. p., 2016. 
Web.  doi:10.1073/pnas.1603916113.

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                    Kemp, R. Scott, Danagoulian, Areg, Macdonald, Ruaridh R., & Vavrek, Jayson R.. Physical cryptographic verification of nuclear warheads.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1603916113

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                    Kemp, R. Scott, Danagoulian, Areg, Macdonald, Ruaridh R., and Vavrek, Jayson R.. Mon .  
"Physical cryptographic verification of nuclear warheads".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1603916113.

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@article{osti_1264781,

  title        = {Physical cryptographic verification of nuclear warheads},

  author       = {Kemp, R. Scott and Danagoulian, Areg and Macdonald, Ruaridh R. and Vavrek, Jayson R.},

  abstractNote = {How does one prove a claim about a highly sensitive object such as a nuclear weapon without revealing information about the object?This paradox has challenged nuclear arms control for more than five decades. We present a mechanism in the form of an interactive proof system that can validate the structure and composition of an object, such as a nuclear warhead, to arbitrary precision without revealing either its structure or composition. We introduce a tomographic method that simultaneously resolves both the geometric and isotopic makeup of an object. We also introduce a method of protecting information using a provably secure cryptographic hash that does not rely on electronics or software. These techniques, when combined with a suitable protocol, constitute an interactive proof system that could reject hoax items and clear authentic warheads with excellent sensitivity in reasonably short measurement times.},

  doi          = {10.1073/pnas.1603916113},

  journal      = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},

  number       = 31,

  volume       = 113,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2016},

  month        = {7}

}

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Similar Records

Title: Physical cryptographic verification of nuclear warheads

Abstract

Citation Formats

Geant4—a simulation toolkit journal, July 2003

The relative efficiency of propositional proof systems journal, March 1979

Simulation of nuclear resonance fluorescence in Geant4 conference, October 2007

Gamma-Ray Measurements of a Soviet Cruise-Missile Warhead journal, May 1990

Ghosts in tomography - the null space of the radon transform journal, January 1981

Laser wakefield accelerator based light sources: potential applications and requirements journal, July 2014

Uniqueness theorems for the exponential X-ray transform journal, January 1993

Ghost distributions in the cone-beam tomography journal, January 1997

Geant4—a simulation toolkit
journal, July 2003

The relative efficiency of propositional proof systems
journal, March 1979

Simulation of nuclear resonance fluorescence in Geant4
conference, October 2007

Gamma-Ray Measurements of a Soviet Cruise-Missile Warhead
journal, May 1990

Ghosts in tomography - the null space of the radon transform
journal, January 1981

Laser wakefield accelerator based light sources: potential applications and requirements
journal, July 2014

Uniqueness theorems for the exponential X-ray transform
journal, January 1993

Ghost distributions in the cone-beam tomography
journal, January 1997