A physical zero-knowledge object-comparison system for nuclear warhead verification

Philippe, Sébastien; Goldston, Robert J.; Glaser, Alexander; d’Errico, Francesco

doi:10.1038/ncomms12890

Title: A physical zero-knowledge object-comparison system for nuclear warhead verification

Abstract

Zero-knowledge proofs are mathematical cryptographic methods to demonstrate the validity of a claim while providing no further information beyond the claim itself. The possibility of using such proofs to process classified and other sensitive physical data has attracted attention, especially in the field of nuclear arms control. Here we demonstrate a non-electronic fast neutron differential radiography technique using superheated emulsion detectors that can confirm that two objects are identical without revealing their geometry or composition. Such a technique could form the basis of a verification system that could confirm the authenticity of nuclear weapons without sharing any secret design information. More broadly, by demonstrating a physical zero-knowledge proof that can compare physical properties of objects, this experiment opens the door to developing other such secure proof-systems for other applications.

Authors:

Philippe, Sébastien ^[1];

^[2]; Glaser, Alexander ^[1]; d’Errico, Francesco ^[3]

Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Univ. of Pisa (Italy); Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). School of Medicine

Publication Date:: 2016-09-20

Research Org.:: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1332310

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0002534

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Nature Communications

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing Group

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION; Experimental nuclear physics; Imaging techniques; Information theory and computation

Citation Formats


                    Philippe, Sébastien, Goldston, Robert J., Glaser, Alexander, and d’Errico, Francesco. A physical zero-knowledge object-comparison system for nuclear warhead verification.  United States: N. p., 2016. 
Web.  doi:10.1038/ncomms12890.

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                    Philippe, Sébastien, Goldston, Robert J., Glaser, Alexander, & d’Errico, Francesco. A physical zero-knowledge object-comparison system for nuclear warhead verification.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12890

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                    Philippe, Sébastien, Goldston, Robert J., Glaser, Alexander, and d’Errico, Francesco. Tue .  
"A physical zero-knowledge object-comparison system for nuclear warhead verification".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12890.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1332310.

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@article{osti_1332310,

  title        = {A physical zero-knowledge object-comparison system for nuclear warhead verification},

  author       = {Philippe, Sébastien and Goldston, Robert J. and Glaser, Alexander and d’Errico, Francesco},

  abstractNote = {Zero-knowledge proofs are mathematical cryptographic methods to demonstrate the validity of a claim while providing no further information beyond the claim itself. The possibility of using such proofs to process classified and other sensitive physical data has attracted attention, especially in the field of nuclear arms control. Here we demonstrate a non-electronic fast neutron differential radiography technique using superheated emulsion detectors that can confirm that two objects are identical without revealing their geometry or composition. Such a technique could form the basis of a verification system that could confirm the authenticity of nuclear weapons without sharing any secret design information. More broadly, by demonstrating a physical zero-knowledge proof that can compare physical properties of objects, this experiment opens the door to developing other such secure proof-systems for other applications.},

  doi          = {10.1038/ncomms12890},

  journal      = {Nature Communications},

  number       = ,

  volume       = 7,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2016},

  month        = {9}

}

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https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12890

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Cited by: 17 works

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Works referenced in this record:

The Knowledge Complexity of Interactive Proof Systems
journal, February 1989

Goldwasser, Shafi; Micali, Silvio; Rackoff, Charles
SIAM Journal on Computing, Vol. 18, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1137/0218012

The Knowledge Complexity of Interactive Proof Systems
journal, February 1989

Goldwasser, Shafi; Micali, Silvio; Rackoff, Charles
SIAM Journal on Computing, Vol. 18, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1137/0218012

Radiation dosimetry and spectrometry with superheated emulsions
journal, September 2001

d'Errico, Francesco
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, Vol. 184, Issue 1-2
DOI: 10.1016/S0168-583X(01)00730-3

A zero-knowledge protocol for nuclear warhead verification
journal, June 2014

Glaser, Alexander; Barak, Boaz; Goldston, Robert J.
Nature, Vol. 510, Issue 7506
DOI: 10.1038/nature13457

Nuclear Warhead Verification: A Review of Attribute and Template Systems
journal, September 2015

Yan, Jie; Glaser, Alexander
Science & Global Security, Vol. 23, Issue 3
DOI: 10.1080/08929882.2015.1087221

On the Optimal Burden of Proof
journal, December 2011

Kaplow, Louis
Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 119, Issue 6
DOI: 10.1086/664614

Not-seeing is believing
journal, June 2014

Stone, R.
Science, Vol. 344, Issue 6191
DOI: 10.1126/science.344.6191.1436

Fast neutron resonance radiography for elemental imaging: theory and applications
journal, August 2002

Gongyin Chen, ; Lanza, R. C.
IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. 49, Issue 4
DOI: 10.1109/TNS.2002.801696

Works referencing / citing this record:

Nuclear disarmament verification via resonant phenomena
journal, March 2018

Hecla, Jake J.; Danagoulian, Areg
Nature Communications, Vol. 9, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03680-4

A physically cryptographic warhead verification system using neutron induced nuclear resonances
journal, September 2019

Engel, Ezra M.; Danagoulian, Areg
Nature Communications, Vol. 10, Issue 1
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12386-0

Fit for Purpose: An Evolutionary Strategy for the Implementation and Verification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
journal, July 2019

Patton, Tamara; Philippe, Sébastien; Mian, Zia
Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, Vol. 2, Issue 2
DOI: 10.1080/25751654.2019.1666699

A physically cryptographic warhead verification system using neutron induced nuclear resonances
text, January 2019

Engel, Ezra M.; Danagoulian, Areg
arXiv
DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1907.06978

A physically cryptographic warhead verification system using neutron induced nuclear resonances
text, January 2019

Engel, Ezra M.; Danagoulian, Areg
arXiv
DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1907.06978

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Title: A physical zero-knowledge object-comparison system for nuclear warhead verification

Abstract

Citation Formats

The Knowledge Complexity of Interactive Proof Systems journal, February 1989

The Knowledge Complexity of Interactive Proof Systems journal, February 1989

Radiation dosimetry and spectrometry with superheated emulsions journal, September 2001

A zero-knowledge protocol for nuclear warhead verification journal, June 2014

Nuclear Warhead Verification: A Review of Attribute and Template Systems journal, September 2015

On the Optimal Burden of Proof journal, December 2011

Not-seeing is believing journal, June 2014

Fast neutron resonance radiography for elemental imaging: theory and applications journal, August 2002

Nuclear disarmament verification via resonant phenomena journal, March 2018

A physically cryptographic warhead verification system using neutron induced nuclear resonances journal, September 2019

Fit for Purpose: An Evolutionary Strategy for the Implementation and Verification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons journal, July 2019

A physically cryptographic warhead verification system using neutron induced nuclear resonances text, January 2019

A physically cryptographic warhead verification system using neutron induced nuclear resonances text, January 2019

The Knowledge Complexity of Interactive Proof Systems
journal, February 1989

The Knowledge Complexity of Interactive Proof Systems
journal, February 1989

Radiation dosimetry and spectrometry with superheated emulsions
journal, September 2001

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journal, June 2014

Nuclear Warhead Verification: A Review of Attribute and Template Systems
journal, September 2015

On the Optimal Burden of Proof
journal, December 2011

Not-seeing is believing
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Nuclear disarmament verification via resonant phenomena
journal, March 2018

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journal, July 2019

A physically cryptographic warhead verification system using neutron induced nuclear resonances
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A physically cryptographic warhead verification system using neutron induced nuclear resonances
text, January 2019