The presence of plutonium in the nuclear fuel that was previously used in a nuclear power plant is a concern that calls for safeguards monitoring. In addition, the Neptunium-237 present in this used nuclear fuel is also of strategic importance and represents a safeguards concern, especially for those countries that reprocess and recycle plutonium. The […]
NSSPI Student Develops New Method to Monitor Detection System Effectiveness
Polyvinyl toluene (PVT) detectors are used in radiation portal monitors (RPM) around the world to detect the illicit trafficking of nuclear materials. Ernesto Ordonez-Ferrer is a student working with Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) Deputy Director Dr. Craig Marianno on a project sponsored by the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear […]
NSSPI Student Makes Remote Detection Experiments Possible for Virtual Students
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, providing hands-on experiments in radiation detection for nuclear engineering and health physics students was a challenge. Not all institutions have access to the appropriate equipment and materials for these experiments, and access to sources can be further restricted by certifications and liabilities. The Center for Nuclear Security Science and […]
NSSPI Student Investigates Proliferation-Resistant Method for Producing Medical Isotopes
Technetium-99m, a daughter of Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), is the most popular radioisotope and is used in over 40 million medical procedures every year for diagnosing everything from heart disease to cancer. Because the US currently imports all of its Mo-99 from aging reactors overseas, the supply chain for this critical radioisotope is vulnerable to transportation problems […]
NSSPI Student Working on New Tools for Nuclear Forensics
In 2010, Congress passed the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act, which created initiatives to support research into determining the source of nuclear or radiological material that has been either confiscated or recovered from a detonated weapon. This allows authorities to identify the origin of the material and piece together how it was obtained and who […]