Los Alamos Releases Guide to Nuclear Material Detection
Posted: 2025-3-1
Source:
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Modern technologies detailed in manual for nuclear safeguards field.
An open-access book published by the Safeguards Science and Technology group at Los Alamos National Laboratory describes techniques used to nondestructively measure the presence of uranium and plutonium in a variety of settings.
People, organizations and agencies working in nuclear safeguards and security use these techniques to
* detect and deter clandestine nuclear weapons programs,
* prevent insider attempts to steal nuclear materials,
* support safeguards conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
The 735-page book is a substantial revision to Passive Nondestructive Assay of Nuclear Materials — the so-called PANDA manual — that has been a classic reference since 1991. The new edition, Nondestructive Assay of Nuclear Materials for Safeguards and Security, can be downloaded for free as a PDF through Springer.
Get the book
Why this matters: The book’s extensive revisions are of interest to practitioners in the field of safeguarding and securing nuclear materials, including inspectors, operators and trainers.
For this second edition, the editors drew on their vast international experience and engaged the help of their Los Alamos colleagues, as well as other national labs and organizations.
The expanded reference covers modern approaches and technologies to nondestructively measure nuclear material.
Nuclear data values have been updated.
Funding: This work, which supports the Lab’s global security mission, was funded by the DOE/NNSA offices of NA-241 (Office of International Nuclear Safeguards) and NA-211 (Office of International Nuclear Security).
An open-access book published by the Safeguards Science and Technology group at Los Alamos National Laboratory describes techniques used to nondestructively measure the presence of uranium and plutonium in a variety of settings.
People, organizations and agencies working in nuclear safeguards and security use these techniques to
* detect and deter clandestine nuclear weapons programs,
* prevent insider attempts to steal nuclear materials,
* support safeguards conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
The 735-page book is a substantial revision to Passive Nondestructive Assay of Nuclear Materials — the so-called PANDA manual — that has been a classic reference since 1991. The new edition, Nondestructive Assay of Nuclear Materials for Safeguards and Security, can be downloaded for free as a PDF through Springer.
Get the book
Why this matters: The book’s extensive revisions are of interest to practitioners in the field of safeguarding and securing nuclear materials, including inspectors, operators and trainers.
For this second edition, the editors drew on their vast international experience and engaged the help of their Los Alamos colleagues, as well as other national labs and organizations.
The expanded reference covers modern approaches and technologies to nondestructively measure nuclear material.
Nuclear data values have been updated.
Funding: This work, which supports the Lab’s global security mission, was funded by the DOE/NNSA offices of NA-241 (Office of International Nuclear Safeguards) and NA-211 (Office of International Nuclear Security).
