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Title: The Attractiveness of Materials in Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles for Various Proliferation and Theft Scenarios

Abstract

This paper is an extension to earlier studies1,2 that examined the attractiveness of materials mixtures containing special nuclear materials (SNM) and alternate nuclear materials (ANM) associated with the PUREX, UREX, COEX, THOREX, and PYROX reprocessing schemes. This study extends the figure of merit (FOM) for evaluating attractiveness to cover a broad range of proliferant state and sub-national group capabilities. The primary conclusion of this study is that all fissile material needs to be rigorously safeguarded to detect diversion by a state and provided the highest levels of physical protection to prevent theft by sub-national groups; no “silver bullet” has been found that will permit the relaxation of current international safeguards or national physical security protection levels. This series of studies has been performed at the request of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and is based on the calculation of "attractiveness levels" that are expressed in terms consistent with, but normally reserved for nuclear materials in DOE nuclear facilities.3 The expanded methodology and updated findings are presented. Additionally, how these attractiveness levels relate to proliferation resistance and physical security are discussed.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
991085
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-68673
NN4003010; TRN: US1007419
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: Proceedings of Global 2009, Paper No. 9543
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; FISSILE MATERIALS; NUCLEAR FUELS; PHYSICAL PROTECTION; PROLIFERATION; REPROCESSING; SAFEGUARDS; SECURITY; THEFT; SABOTAGE; FUEL CYCLE; MIXTURES; Fuel Cycles; Materials, Safeguards, Non-Proliferation

Citation Formats

Bathke, C G, Wallace, R K, Ireland, J R, Johnson, M W, Hase, Kevin R, Jarvinen, G D, Ebbinghaus, B B, Sleaford, Brad W, Bradley, Keith S, Collins, Brian A, Smith, Brian W, and Prichard, Andrew W. The Attractiveness of Materials in Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles for Various Proliferation and Theft Scenarios. United States: N. p., 2010. Web.
Bathke, C G, Wallace, R K, Ireland, J R, Johnson, M W, Hase, Kevin R, Jarvinen, G D, Ebbinghaus, B B, Sleaford, Brad W, Bradley, Keith S, Collins, Brian A, Smith, Brian W, & Prichard, Andrew W. The Attractiveness of Materials in Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles for Various Proliferation and Theft Scenarios. United States.
Bathke, C G, Wallace, R K, Ireland, J R, Johnson, M W, Hase, Kevin R, Jarvinen, G D, Ebbinghaus, B B, Sleaford, Brad W, Bradley, Keith S, Collins, Brian A, Smith, Brian W, and Prichard, Andrew W. 2010. "The Attractiveness of Materials in Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles for Various Proliferation and Theft Scenarios". United States.
@article{osti_991085,
title = {The Attractiveness of Materials in Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles for Various Proliferation and Theft Scenarios},
author = {Bathke, C G and Wallace, R K and Ireland, J R and Johnson, M W and Hase, Kevin R and Jarvinen, G D and Ebbinghaus, B B and Sleaford, Brad W and Bradley, Keith S and Collins, Brian A and Smith, Brian W and Prichard, Andrew W},
abstractNote = {This paper is an extension to earlier studies1,2 that examined the attractiveness of materials mixtures containing special nuclear materials (SNM) and alternate nuclear materials (ANM) associated with the PUREX, UREX, COEX, THOREX, and PYROX reprocessing schemes. This study extends the figure of merit (FOM) for evaluating attractiveness to cover a broad range of proliferant state and sub-national group capabilities. The primary conclusion of this study is that all fissile material needs to be rigorously safeguarded to detect diversion by a state and provided the highest levels of physical protection to prevent theft by sub-national groups; no “silver bullet” has been found that will permit the relaxation of current international safeguards or national physical security protection levels. This series of studies has been performed at the request of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and is based on the calculation of "attractiveness levels" that are expressed in terms consistent with, but normally reserved for nuclear materials in DOE nuclear facilities.3 The expanded methodology and updated findings are presented. Additionally, how these attractiveness levels relate to proliferation resistance and physical security are discussed.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/991085}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2010},
month = {Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2010}
}

Conference:
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