Frequent reports of illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive material demonstrate the global dimensions of the problem and the importance of building up systems to detect and prevent such undesirable incidents. Nuclear forensics – described also as "fingerprinting" nuclear and radiological material” – was born in the shadow of the cold war to detect nuclear smuggling. Since then, nuclear forensics has been contributing increasingly in the global efforts to prevent the illegal smuggling and trafficking of radiological and nuclear materials, which have potential for application in nuclear terrorism.
The materials confiscated are generally intended: for industrial and medical use, for nuclear fuel cycle operations, in dangerous weapons-usable nuclear materials such as plutonium and highly enriched uranium and for use as an additive in conventional explosives (Radiological Dispersal Devices, RDDs or dirty bombs). A major focus of nuclear forensics is identifying specific signatures, which are the physical, chemical, and isotopic characteristics that distinguish one nuclear or radiological material from another. Members of public need to be made aware of such possibilities to avoid panic under such situations.
The technique draws upon sophisticated instruments and methods to analyze the nature, use, and origin of the materials. Well established techniques are now available for detection and measurement of radioactivity in low levels. Analytical methods employed include electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, mass spectrometry, gamma and alpha spectrometry and low-level radioactivity measurements systems.
The report of such an analysis of the seized materials is used as evidence by law enforcement agencies for prosecution of criminal cases. Nuclear forensics and attribution go beyond determining the physical, chemical, and isotopic characteristics of intercepted nuclear or radiological materials. The authorities need to know the points of origin of the materials, routes of transit and the final intended destination.
The common nuclear material intercepted is uranium concentrate (yellow cake). The yellow cake is the product from uranium mining/milling operations, and the uranium involved is generally of natural origin, which is considerably less hazardous (of low specific activity) than the uranium from the enrichment cycle. Alternatively, other materials involved in such illicit trafficking could well be commercial radioactive source materials such as cesium-137, strontium-90, cobalt-60, or americium-241. These isotopes are used in applications such as medical diagnostics, nondestructive analysis, food sterilization, and thermoelectric generators.
Expertize in the field of nuclear forensics is available in national atomic energy establishments and with international oragnizations such as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
India in Nuclear-Submarine Club
India is going to be the sixth member of the elite and exclusive Nuclear Submarine Club consisting of Russia, US, China, France and UK. The nuclear strike weapon system, called Submarine Launched Ballastic Missiles (SLBM) is India’s own and is ready for the final test (as reported by DRDO Chief in The Times of India). The missile has a test range of 700 km. There is a scope for increasing the range to 1500km.
The weapon system will be integrated with the mother ship (indigenous nuclear-powered submarine). The nuclear submarines (3 nos) are being built under the project “Advanced Technology Vessel” (ATV).
However, unlike Pakistan and China, India has a declared doctrine of “no first use” of nuclear weapons. Every Indian will be proud of this national strategic development irrespective of the long delay in the project.
The weapon system will be integrated with the mother ship (indigenous nuclear-powered submarine). The nuclear submarines (3 nos) are being built under the project “Advanced Technology Vessel” (ATV).
However, unlike Pakistan and China, India has a declared doctrine of “no first use” of nuclear weapons. Every Indian will be proud of this national strategic development irrespective of the long delay in the project.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Indo-US Nuclear deal
With the left parties in the Indian government changing their views on nuclear deal on daily basis, it is now doubtful whether the deal will finally come through or not. Time is the deciding factor since the fate of both the governments in USA and in India lasting beyond their present term is in doubt. The issue of India-specific safeguards with IAEA needs to be finalized (5th round of talks just started) to obtain a green signal from the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group for operationalising the deal.
How the new contenders to occupy the White House view India is not very clear. Senator Hillary Clinton may be unpredictable. Barack Obama remains a strong opponent of ending nuclear sanctions against India. He may call for redrafting the whole nuclear pact and try to curb nuclear independence in issues such as nuclear tests and reprocessing of the spent fuel from the reactors. However, the Republican Party candidate McCain may continue to support the nuclear deal if elected.
It is now or never says David Mulford, US Ambassador. The Indian high profile Ambassdor to the US, Rohen Sen also reported to have got one-year extension indicating that the present UPA government in India hasn't given up hopes on the nuclear deal.
Hence, the best option is to push the nuclear deal through before President Bush steps down. He is the best supporter of India. This is the opportunity for India to get out of the nuclear isolation India has faced for over three decades. Countries such as Russia and France will be too willing to support India by ending the nuclear sanctions once the US-India deal comes through. India also will have so many choices to get its nuclear supplies. For strategic reasons, China may oppose the deal as is evident from the opposition faced by the ruling government by the Left parties for operationalising the nuclear deal.
How the new contenders to occupy the White House view India is not very clear. Senator Hillary Clinton may be unpredictable. Barack Obama remains a strong opponent of ending nuclear sanctions against India. He may call for redrafting the whole nuclear pact and try to curb nuclear independence in issues such as nuclear tests and reprocessing of the spent fuel from the reactors. However, the Republican Party candidate McCain may continue to support the nuclear deal if elected.
It is now or never says David Mulford, US Ambassador. The Indian high profile Ambassdor to the US, Rohen Sen also reported to have got one-year extension indicating that the present UPA government in India hasn't given up hopes on the nuclear deal.
Hence, the best option is to push the nuclear deal through before President Bush steps down. He is the best supporter of India. This is the opportunity for India to get out of the nuclear isolation India has faced for over three decades. Countries such as Russia and France will be too willing to support India by ending the nuclear sanctions once the US-India deal comes through. India also will have so many choices to get its nuclear supplies. For strategic reasons, China may oppose the deal as is evident from the opposition faced by the ruling government by the Left parties for operationalising the nuclear deal.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Latest ICRP Recommendations -2007 are now available
NEWS
ICRP Recommendations - 2007
User’s Edition
This lower-cost version includes the full text of the actual Recommendations
(pp. 1 – 135) but not the scientific Annexes with background data (pp. 137 – 332); it can be ordered at: http://intl.elsevierhealth.com/catalogue/
Bulk orders and/or sponsored copies
Significant discounts are available if you wish to purchase a number of copies, e.g., for your employees, or regulators may wish to distribute copies to licensees. It is also possible if desired to discuss overprinting the cover with your logo on a print run (however, ICRP reserves the right to edit or reject specific proposals). For more information about these options, please contact Sarah Cahill at our publisher’s, at: s.cahill@elsevier.com
Special discount options and translations
Developing countries
In about 100 countries, the reports of ICRP (and many other scientific publications) are available at little or no cost through the ‘HINARI’ programme. In order to investigate whether you qualify for this programme, and to register, please visit: http://www.who.int/hinari/en/
IRPA Associated Societies
If your IRPA Associated Society has made the appropriate deal with our publishers and ICRP, there is a discount for members. For more information, please see: http://www.icrp.org/freepubl.asp
ICRP Recommendations - 2007
User’s Edition
This lower-cost version includes the full text of the actual Recommendations
(pp. 1 – 135) but not the scientific Annexes with background data (pp. 137 – 332); it can be ordered at: http://intl.elsevierhealth.com/catalogue/
Bulk orders and/or sponsored copies
Significant discounts are available if you wish to purchase a number of copies, e.g., for your employees, or regulators may wish to distribute copies to licensees. It is also possible if desired to discuss overprinting the cover with your logo on a print run (however, ICRP reserves the right to edit or reject specific proposals). For more information about these options, please contact Sarah Cahill at our publisher’s, at: s.cahill@elsevier.com
Special discount options and translations
Developing countries
In about 100 countries, the reports of ICRP (and many other scientific publications) are available at little or no cost through the ‘HINARI’ programme. In order to investigate whether you qualify for this programme, and to register, please visit: http://www.who.int/hinari/en/
IRPA Associated Societies
If your IRPA Associated Society has made the appropriate deal with our publishers and ICRP, there is a discount for members. For more information, please see: http://www.icrp.org/freepubl.asp
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Split personality of CPM – Nuclear Deal
On and off on the record, the Communist Party of India (CPM) has been supporting and opposing the Indo-US nuclear deal. As the first stage of operationalizing the deal, India has started negotiating with the IAEA, the safeguards aspects of the deal. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also playing its own game by asking the Prime Minister to intervene during the on-going debate on the deal at the Rajya Sabha. One of the so-called specialists, is cautioning the government about the possibility of the restrictive clauses of Hyde Act and the 123 Agreement in the safeguards pact.
As per the results of the opinion poll of a leading news paper in India, the Indian “janata” wants the deal to come through so that the environmentally clean nuclear power sector can contribute significantly to the Indian power mix in the future. At the same time, let the Thorium Fuel Cycle take a leading role in nuclear power programs being envisaged by the country.
As per the results of the opinion poll of a leading news paper in India, the Indian “janata” wants the deal to come through so that the environmentally clean nuclear power sector can contribute significantly to the Indian power mix in the future. At the same time, let the Thorium Fuel Cycle take a leading role in nuclear power programs being envisaged by the country.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Why India should go for Thorium fuel Cycle?
Developed countries in the west are not blessed with large thorium deposits while uranium could be procured easily from the mines of Canada, South Africa and Australia for the Light-Water Reactors (LWR). That seems to be main reason why the thorium fuel cycle was not pursued with vigor in the west and uranium fuel cycle served the purpose of power generation and for producing plutonium for nuclear weapons. It is definitely low-risk development of choice with inherent safety. However, the generation of large amounts of high-level waste, including trans-plutonics and their ultimate disposal became an emotive subject worldwide.
India is one of the very few blessed countries with large deposits of thorium right on the beaches of the States Kerala and Orissa. But somehow, the high technology required for thorium fuel cycle didn’t take off earlier probably due to the “sanctions” post 1974. Besides, uranium was available from the Jaduguda mines, and a number of PHWRs were built for nuclear power generation. Simultaneously, however, thorium utilization was at the top in the agenda for the long term core objective of the “third stage” of the nuclear power program.
At present, it is reported that BARC is engaged in developing 300 MWe Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) to gain expertise for thorium utilization and for demonstrating advanced safety concepts. Mixed Thoria-Urania and Thoria-Plutonia are the candidate fuels for the AHWR. Accelerator Driven Sub-Critical Systems (ADS) is the latest addition to the Indian Nuclear program for large scale utilization of thorium. It is expected to provide the strong technology base for its ambitious program of incineration of the long-lived actinides and fission products, thereby reducing the high level waste inventory. India’s long term nuclear power program is reported to be based on the thorium fuel cycle.
The much publicized Indo-US nuclear deal, if works out satisfactorily, would have augmented the short-term nuclear power contribution from the PHWRs. Natural uranium is used as the fuel, which India seems to have short supply.
India is one of the very few blessed countries with large deposits of thorium right on the beaches of the States Kerala and Orissa. But somehow, the high technology required for thorium fuel cycle didn’t take off earlier probably due to the “sanctions” post 1974. Besides, uranium was available from the Jaduguda mines, and a number of PHWRs were built for nuclear power generation. Simultaneously, however, thorium utilization was at the top in the agenda for the long term core objective of the “third stage” of the nuclear power program.
At present, it is reported that BARC is engaged in developing 300 MWe Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) to gain expertise for thorium utilization and for demonstrating advanced safety concepts. Mixed Thoria-Urania and Thoria-Plutonia are the candidate fuels for the AHWR. Accelerator Driven Sub-Critical Systems (ADS) is the latest addition to the Indian Nuclear program for large scale utilization of thorium. It is expected to provide the strong technology base for its ambitious program of incineration of the long-lived actinides and fission products, thereby reducing the high level waste inventory. India’s long term nuclear power program is reported to be based on the thorium fuel cycle.
The much publicized Indo-US nuclear deal, if works out satisfactorily, would have augmented the short-term nuclear power contribution from the PHWRs. Natural uranium is used as the fuel, which India seems to have short supply.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
What the IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said at the The Indian Fifth Annual Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, New Delhi
The Summit, held on 12 October, 2007, featured talks by several important political figures in India, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Ms. Sonia Gandhi and the IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, who talked on - Global security: The need for a new beginning.
Some of the challenges humanity is facing today, as listed by him are:
• Poverty and the persistent inequity in the global distribution of wealth. A study by the United Nations University found that, as of the year 2000, the richest one percent of the world's population owned 40 percent of the world's assets. By contrast, the poorest half of humanity owned barely one percent of global wealth.
• Religious intolerance and the lack of political freedom to systematic oppression and torture and human right abuses, lack of good governance
• Uneven approach to the sanctity of human life
• Global insecurities and threats of nuclear and radiological terrorism.
He said that India has never joined the NPT, and therefore has not made the same legal commitments, it shares responsibility in terms of the urgent need for leadership on nuclear disarmament. In fact, he quoted that next month, it would be 50 years since Prime Minister Nehru made an impassioned appeal, here in New Delhi, for a worldwide end to nuclear testing and the elimination of all nuclear weapons arsenals, in order to "save humanity from the ultimate disaster".
He appreciated the sustained economic growth of recent years has given hope that the political freedoms enjoyed by the Indian people can be coupled with economic prosperity for all. He said democracy is an evolutionary process; however, it must begin from within, and it must be nurtured and supported, regardless of whether the particular leader is a political friend or foe, and regardless of the outcome of a given election. Investments should be in more advanced science and technology to meet development needs - seeking to do more than create more wealth for the wealthy
He appealed to the international community to deal with symptoms of insecurity at the national level, including nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. On the nuclear front he said, the security of existing stocks of nuclear and radiological material should be strengthened, and controls over sensitive nuclear operations that produce such material should be tightened.
Dr. ElBaradei emphasized the need to engage in the sustained diplomacy necessary to resolve longstanding conflicts and to alleviate problems of poverty and hunger to generate momentum for good governance. He called for investments on innovation to address problems of hunger and disease.
Some of the challenges humanity is facing today, as listed by him are:
• Poverty and the persistent inequity in the global distribution of wealth. A study by the United Nations University found that, as of the year 2000, the richest one percent of the world's population owned 40 percent of the world's assets. By contrast, the poorest half of humanity owned barely one percent of global wealth.
• Religious intolerance and the lack of political freedom to systematic oppression and torture and human right abuses, lack of good governance
• Uneven approach to the sanctity of human life
• Global insecurities and threats of nuclear and radiological terrorism.
He said that India has never joined the NPT, and therefore has not made the same legal commitments, it shares responsibility in terms of the urgent need for leadership on nuclear disarmament. In fact, he quoted that next month, it would be 50 years since Prime Minister Nehru made an impassioned appeal, here in New Delhi, for a worldwide end to nuclear testing and the elimination of all nuclear weapons arsenals, in order to "save humanity from the ultimate disaster".
He appreciated the sustained economic growth of recent years has given hope that the political freedoms enjoyed by the Indian people can be coupled with economic prosperity for all. He said democracy is an evolutionary process; however, it must begin from within, and it must be nurtured and supported, regardless of whether the particular leader is a political friend or foe, and regardless of the outcome of a given election. Investments should be in more advanced science and technology to meet development needs - seeking to do more than create more wealth for the wealthy
He appealed to the international community to deal with symptoms of insecurity at the national level, including nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. On the nuclear front he said, the security of existing stocks of nuclear and radiological material should be strengthened, and controls over sensitive nuclear operations that produce such material should be tightened.
Dr. ElBaradei emphasized the need to engage in the sustained diplomacy necessary to resolve longstanding conflicts and to alleviate problems of poverty and hunger to generate momentum for good governance. He called for investments on innovation to address problems of hunger and disease.
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