NTR-Net supports 4 multi-disciplinary research themes to provide academic expertise to support the UK government to optimise nuclear and radiological protection
1. Detection science
The ability to accurately, rapidly and non-intrusively detect radioactive and/or nuclear materials not only underpins the safe operation of facilities, but is also crucial in the UK’s national defence against the smuggling of illicit materials into the country.
From new detector development, novel signal processing, and AI/ML-fused algorithm development – this thematic area seeks to enhance the current state of the art across software and hardware aspects.
The NuSec network, funded by the STFC, is a forerunner of our detection science research theme. This is because detection science is a key pillar of any nuclear threat reduction capability and ongoing will provide a major source of innovation and activity for our network.
2. Nuclear forensics
Nuclear terrorism has been identified as one of the most serious security threats facing the world today. Many countries have since incorporated nuclear forensic analysis as a component of their strategy to prevent nuclear terrorism, involving the laboratory analysis of seized illicit nuclear materials or debris from a nuclear detonation to identify the origins of the material or weapon.
Over the years, a number of forensic signatures have been developed to improve the confidence with which forensic analysts can draw conclusions.
3. Treaties
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) represents one of the most prominent nuclear texts ever signed. The Treaty prohibits all nuclear explosions, whether they are conducted for military or non-military purposes, no matter how high or low their yield, with monitoring continually occurring to ensure compliance.
Alongside cutting edge research, its unique verification regime is designed to detect any nuclear explosion conducted anywhere – under ground, under water or in the atmosphere.
4. Safeguards and legacy materials
To ensure the security and protection of nuclear and/or radiological materials, safeguards verification systems exist to work within frameworks of international nuclear material control and non-proliferation, applied to maintain the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
With an ever-growing inventory of materials requiring management and protection, the objective of Safeguards is to make sure that civil nuclear material, which could otherwise be used in the fabrication of nuclear weapons, is exclusively used for peaceful applications.