Neutrino Detectors are currently very large. But perhaps they can be made small enough by the 2040s to monitor Australian nuclear submarine reactors.
In a highly technical article physicsworld reports July 18, 2022:
Neutrino detectors could monitor treaty compliance by nuclear submarines
Two neutrino
physicists in the US have proposed a novel way to detect the presence of
weapons-grade uranium in nuclear-powered submarines without entering their
reactor compartments. The procedure, which could be conducted in port while a
submarine’s reactor is turned off, could help to safeguard against the
diversion of highly-enriched uranium into weapons programmes.
The Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons prohibits the transfer of nuclear
material from civilian power plants – where it is monitored by the International
Atomic Energy Association – to nuclear weapons. It does, however, permit
its transfer to non-explosive military uses like nuclear-powered submarines and
aircraft carriers. However, once nuclear material is transferred from the
civilian realm to the military one, it becomes much harder to track.
…This concern
has become more pressing as the US and UK have recently agreed to sell nuclear
submarines to Australia – which is a non-nuclear state. Australia is
unlikely to attempt to build a nuclear bomb, but the transfer of
weapons-grade uranium to non-nuclear states underlines the need for a method of
verifying that it is not diverted to make weapons….
SEE WHOLE ARTICLE
Pete
ReplyDeleteNot exactly on topic but the odds of an AUKUS SSN build for the RAN appear to be declining. The latest US Congress progress report suggests the Virginias are running late, with no spare capacity, and costs are growing with the Block V build. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/20/australia-almost-no-chance-to-buy-any-submarine-from-current-us-building-program-experts-say
The Congress report is here. The Virginia cost is now up to $3.6 billion US per boat or $5 billion AUS per boat. Eight Virginias would cost $20 billion more than eight Astute Batch 2/SSNRs. I simply can’t see it happening in current economic circumstances. But the progress report suggests it is not an option at any cost.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL32418
Thanks Anonymous [at Jul 20, 2022, 9:16 PM]
ReplyDeleteSee my reply of July 21, 2022 at https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2022/07/three-virginiasyear-built-in-us-for-ran.html
Regards
Pete