Nuclear Engineering Commons^™

A Case Study Assessing The Integration Of Nuclear Safety And Security In Facilities Using A Monte Carlo Simulation Aided Analytical Hierarchy Process, Theodore A. Thomas, Shraddha Rane, Jason Timothy Harris

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Nuclear safety and security are essential in all operations using nuclear and radioactive materials. Even though both elements are important, the evolution of these programs has not developed at the same rate. As such, their integration has been met with challenges. This study analyzed the potential for synergy across different criteria and settings when integrating nuclear safety and security. The criteria included eight points where overlap could be identified between nuclear safety and security. Three work settings—industrial, medical, and research—were evaluated. Responses were collected from nine individuals who worked with nuclear materials in various capacities and different nuclear work settings. …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Nuclear Security Training And Education In Ghana, Michael Nii Sanka Ansah, Boris Stepanov Pavlovich, Paul Atta Amoah, David Okoh Kpeglo, Simon Adu, Bright Kwame Afornu

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Growing attention is being given to nuclear power across several African countries, including in Ghana. The world is depending on nuclear energy as a reliable and efficient means of energy generation. Ghana as a country is developing nuclear energy; thus, equal attention must be directed toward nuclear safety and security. Ghana is gradually developing interest in and is devoting substantial required resources to educating and training on nuclear security to meet the standards required by international bodies. Institutions such as the Nuclear Safety and Security Centre and the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission …

Tests Of A Gamma Spectrometer-Neutron Counter Relationship As A Neutron Alarm Metric In Mobile Radiation Search Systems, Jackson N. Wagner, Craig Marianno

International Journal of Nuclear Security

A mobile radiological search system (MRSS) is frequently used in nuclear security to interdict illicit nuclear material. One difficulty an MRSS faces is in characterizing its detectors’ background responses, particularly in its neutron counter(s). This difficulty adds complications to identifying the presence of neutron-emitting radiological materials during an operation. Fortunately, previous work has identified a power law relationship between muons registered by the MRSS’s gamma detectors and background neutrons. This relationship can be applied to estimate the MRSS’s background neutron count rate using that muon count rate. To test the usability of such an estimate, an MRSS was used to …

The Role Of Nuclear Forensics For Determining The Origin Of Nuclear Materials Out Of Regulatory Control And Nuclear Security, Lekhnath Ghimire, Edward Waller

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The international community recognizes the rise in theft and illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and radioactive sources—for malicious use and nuclear terrorism—as a serious threat. That is why a well-developed nuclear forensics capability is an integral part of a robust nuclear security program and a key element of nuclear security infrastructure. Both pre- and post-detonation nuclear forensics are vital for controlling theft and illicit trafficking of nuclear materials, as well as identifying and tracing their sources. Nuclear forensics analysis and interpretation processes for nuclear security is a systematic process that includes: (1) sample collection and categorization techniques and (2) detailed …

Developing Nuclear Security Capacity Of Indonesia’S Police And Security Officer: Lessons From Universitas Gadjah Mada’S Pilot Training, Susetyo Hario Putero Mr

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Due to an increase in global nuclear security issues, there need to be improvements in human resources and security measures. The Republic of Indonesia is an archipelago country, which makes surveilling for nuclear security threats complicated. Recent radioactive material smuggling incidents proved that Indonesian police and security officers’ knowledge in nuclear security has been challenged and must be improved. In response, Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Nuclear Engineering Program composed a three-day pilot training program for local police and UGM's security officers in 2018. The objective of the training was to improve their capabilities in dealing with nuclear security issues around where …

Nuclear Security Awareness Survey At A University, Marcia P. Robinson, Naomi German, Destiny B. White, Shraddha V. Rane, Jason Timothy Harris

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The concept of assessing safety culture in an organization emerged with its application at the nuclear power industry and has expanded since then. An assessment of nuclear security, on the contrary, is still under-developed, especially at non-nuclear facilities, such as academic institutions and medical facilities. To identify the level of the awareness and understanding of credible nuclear and radiological threats, response preparedness, security culture, and the integrity of nuclear security systems among non-radioactive material users at a university setting; a campus-wide survey was deployed. A total of 3,336 non-radioactive material users, including students, faculty, and staff participated in the survey. …

There From The Beginning: The Women Of Los Alamos National Laboratory Supporting National And International Nuclear Security, Olga Martin, Laura Mcclellan, Octavio Ramos, Heather Quinn

International Journal of Nuclear Security

From the beginning of the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s, the women of what would become Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) worked in technical positions alongside their male counterparts, played a key role as computers, and worked in administrative jobs as secretaries, phone operators, bookkeepers, and on behalf of the U.S. Army in the Women’s Army Corps.

Throughout the history of the Laboratory, women experts at LANL helped establish and lead important national and international security programs, with careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Over time, the women of Los Alamos have come together under various Employee Resource …

Women In Nuclear Science & Technology In India: Challenges & Opportunities, Arpita Datta, Dr. Alpana Goel, Ashok Kumar Jain

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Women have been actively contributing toward frontline research and development of various advanced technologies in the nuclear domain and playing a crucial role in key positions. However, proportional representation of women in various decision-making positions at higher levels in politics, diplomacy, military affairs, science, and technology remains low, and most of these positions remain male-dominated. We see that women often find it difficult to achieve leadership roles for several reasons, but often from an implicit bias in society. The stereotypical image of women in society is still propagated very discreetly. In recent times, Indian women have made big strides in …

Eusectra: European Nuclear Security Training Centre Providing Hands-On Training And Education In Nuclear Security And Safeguards, Willem Janssens, Veronique Berthou, Abbas Kamel, Jean Galy, Klaus Luetzenkirchen, Klaus Mayer, Stefan Nonneman

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The European Nuclear Security Training Centre (EUSECTRA) inaugurated under this global name about 10 years ago and operated by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), located both on the Karlsruhe (Germany) and Ispra (Italy) sites, includes a large variety of capacity building and professional development activities which span from the hands-on training for nuclear security and safeguards actors (e.g. respectively border guards or customs and nuclear inspectors) to educational efforts in both nuclear security and safeguards. Whereas the first ones, which gave rise to the new name, focus mainly on detection, on-site assistance, crime-scene management, technical reach-back and nuclear …

Promoting Nuclear Security Education And Training Activities At Amity University, India, Arpita Datta, Dr. Alpana Goel

International Journal of Nuclear Security

In the present era of global nuclear governance, it is the responsibility of every individual not only the security personals to be accountable for the security of nuclear materials, facilities and radioactive materials. Amity university and other universities of India are the largest educational networks for young professionals who will enter the nuclear programme in India and will be involved in the management of nuclear and other radioactive materials in a wide variety of applications such as hospitals, industrial applications and nuclear facilities. Amity University Uttar Pradesh is taking leading part to sensitize the importance of nuclear security amongst the …

Consideration Of Administrative Monetary Penalties In Nuclear Safety And Security, Jelena Vucicevic, Edward Waller

International Journal of Nuclear Security

An Administrative Monetary Penalty (AMP) is a penalty imposed by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), without court involvement for a violation of a regulatory requirement. An AMP can be applied against any individual or corporation subject to the Nuclear Safety Control Act, which regulates the development, production and use of nuclear energy and the production, possession and use of nuclear and radioactive material. However, AMPs are not the same as criminal offences. They are civil sanctions which try to secure compliance through the application of monetary penalties for non-compliance with regulatory requirements. The AMP program was introduced in 2013 …

Irradiation Experiment For Living Insect-Based Radiological Dispersal Device, Braden Goddard, Walid Metwally, Ahmad Ababneh

International Journal of Nuclear Security

People generally associate fear with “nuclear”, “radioactive” and “insects”. It is speculated that a release of radioactive living insects would instill more fear into the general public than a “traditional” style radiological dispersion device (RDD). This paper evaluates the potential threat of an insect-based RDD using experimental data. The results of this project found that insect-based RDDs are an insignificant threat due to the challenges in making insects radioactive enough to pose any danger to humans without killing the insects.

The Future Of Nuclear Security: A Medical Physicist’S Perspective, Katharine E. Thomson

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Planning for the future of nuclear security is a vital and complex task, requiring cooperation and contribution from many disciplines and industries. This diversity of expertise should include the medical sector, which faces many of the same challenges as the nuclear industry: controlling access to dangerous material, creating a strong security culture, cooperating with the wider world and engaging the public.

Medical physicists, of which the author is one, oversee all aspects of small-scale radiation use. This paper discusses three key areas increasingly important to both medical and nuclear uses of radioactive materials: public engagement, prevention of nuclear and radiological …

Building The Education And Training Pillar Of The University Of Tennessee’S Institute For Nuclear Security, Howard Lewis Hall

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The University of Tennessee (UT) developed its first formal and coordinated efforts in nuclear security education in 2008-2009 with its graduate certificate program in nuclear security in the Department of Nuclear Engineering. Building on this work, in 2011 UT established the UT Institute for Nuclear Security (INS) as a collaborative center at the university to expand its curricular impact as well as foster research and partnerships with nearby major governmental facilities engaged in nuclear security work. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12), and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) have joined with UT as charter members …

Nuclear Security Education At Pakistan Institute Of Engineering And Applied Sciences (Pieas): Current Status, Future Prospects And The Lessons Learnt, Tariq Majeed Dr.

International Journal of Nuclear Security

In this paper, the details of nuclear security education at Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) have been discussed. Nuclear Security education was initiated at PIEAS as a sub-specialty of its MS Nuclear Engineering Program in October 2009. Two courses, Nuclear Security (NE-581) and Physical Protection Systems (NE-582) have been offered on regular basis in the 3^rd and 4^th semesters. To date, 72 students have been graduated with this sub-specialty. The most important lesson learnt is that introduction of nuclear security related courses in nuclear engineering program has opened up new venues of applications of nuclear …

Nuclear Security And Hrd - Viet Nam’S Effort, Nu-Hoai-Vi Nguyen, Tan Huu Vuong

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Viet Nam is expanding its nuclear energy program for the application in various areas including industries, agriculture, healthcare, education and research. Recognizing the importance of the nineteen issues laid out in the IAEA document “Milestones in Development of a National Infrastructure for Nuclear Power” [1], Vietnam is considering how to address these issues. This paper describes the establishment of nuclear security infrastructure in Viet Nam and how Viet Nam has addressed one of the nineteen issues, that is human resource development in nuclear energy in general and in nuclear security in particular.