Search Result

Srl

Item

ID: 142271

Antineutrino reactor safeguards: a case study of the DPRK 1994 nuclear crisis / Christensen, Eric; Huber, Patrick ; Jaffke, Patrick

Christensen, Eric	Article
	0 Rating(s) & 0 Review(s)

Summary/Abstract

In this article a case study of the application of antineutrino safeguards to a real-world scenario, the North Korean nuclear crisis in 1994, is presented. Detection limits to a partial or full core discharge in 1989 based on actual IAEA safeguards access are derived and it is found that two independent methods would have yielded positive evidence for a second core with very high confidence. To generalize these results, detailed estimates for the sensitivity to the plutonium content of various types of reactors, including most types of plutonium production reactors, are presented, based on detailed reactor simulations. A key finding of this study is that a wide class of reactors with a thermal power of 0.1–1 gigawatt can be safeguarded achieving IAEA goals for quantitative sensitivity and timeliness with antineutrino detectors adjacent to the reactor building. Antineutrino reactor monitoring does not rely on the continuity of knowledge and provides information about core inventory and power status in a timely fashion. The necessary detection systems do not exist yet but are expected to become available within two to five years.

Key Words

Iaea safeguards ; DPRK ; Antineutrino Reactor Safeguards ; 1994 Nuclear Crisis

Links

'Full Text'

In Basket

Export

ID: 149608

Detection of breeding blankets using antineutrinos / Cogswell, Bernadette K; Huber, Patrick

Huber, Patrick	Journal Article
	0 Rating(s) & 0 Review(s)

Summary/Abstract

The Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement between the United States and Russia makes arrangements for the disposal of 34 metric tons of excess weapon-grade plutonium. Under this agreement Russia plans to dispose of its excess stocks by processing the plutonium into fuel for fast breeder reactors. To meet the disposition requirements this fuel would be burned while the fast reactors are run as burners, i.e., without a natural uranium blanket that can be used to breed plutonium surrounding the core. This article discusses the potential application of antineutrino monitoring to the verification of the presence of a breeding blanket. It is found that a 36 kg antineutrino detector, exploiting coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering and made of silicon could determine the presence of a breeding blanket at a liquid sodium cooled fast reactor at the 95 percent confidence level within 90 days.

Key Words

Detection ; Breeding Blankets ; Antineutrinos

Links

'Full Text'

In Basket

Export