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International Journal of Nuclear Security
Number of Followers: 1

This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Online) 2376-9955
Published by Institute for Nuclear Security

[1 journal]

A Letter from the IJNS Issue 7.1 Davis Editorial Fellow
- Authors: Rachel Brooks
  Abstract: The Davis Editor for Volume 7, Rachel Brooks, reflects on her time as Davis Editor and summarizes the contents of Issue 7.1.
  PubDate: Fri, 25 Nov 2022 13:56:00 PST
A Letter from the Outgoing Editor of IJNS
- Authors: Russel K. Hirst
  Abstract: Dr. Russel Hirst says farewell to his time as Managing Editor at IJNS.
  PubDate: Fri, 25 Nov 2022 13:51:04 PST
Threat of Nuclear Terrorism: The Developing Nuclear Security Regime
- Authors: Muhammed Ali Alkış
  Abstract: Terrorism has always been a part of human history in various forms. However, it had not been such a clear and present danger until the 9/11 attacks. After the 9/11 attacks, terrorism evolved into a new kind of terrorism only aiming to change a system with sensational attacks that cause so many deaths. Today, it poses a threat in the form of nuclear terrorism. Its potential rate of lethality could not be compared with any other forms of terrorism if terrorists managed to detonate an intact nuclear weapon or an improvised nuclear device. In addition, the psychological effects of sabotaging a nuclear facility or exploding a “dirty bomb” would be much more powerful than any other form of terrorism. In response, states have already started to cooperate through various international responses, collectively known as nuclear security. But, nuclear security is still developing and seems not yet strong enough to effectively cope with the threat of nuclear terrorism. On the other hand, there is the international nuclear nonproliferation regime based on the three pillars of nuclear nonproliferation, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and nuclear disarmament. However, its scope is limited to address threats stemming from traditional state actors such as nuclear war and proliferation. Nonetheless, this regime still offers a useful base for nuclear security to develop a more effective framework for international responses to the threat of nuclear terrorism. The inspiration and guidance of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime would lead to more effective nuclear security.
  PubDate: Fri, 03 Jun 2022 18:36:08 PDT
Ready for Nuclear Energy': A Policy Review of the Philippines’
Nuclear Energy Plan and Participation in the ASEAN Network of Regulatory
Bodies on Atomic Energy
- Authors: Julius Cesar Trajano
  Abstract: Recently, the Philippines has been demonstrating its interest in using nuclear energy, including addressing issues and gaps in its nuclear energy preparations, several of which fall under nuclear security, nuclear emergency preparedness and response, and regulatory capacity. This article argues that the ASEAN member states’ growing regional cooperation in nuclear safety and security, spearheaded by the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM), can have a strong positive impact on the Philippines’ nuclear energy preparations. ASEANTOM’s regional activities and projects can help the Philippines address some of the current critical gaps and issues in its nuclear energy preparatory plans. But there are still limitations to how much regional cooperation can impact the Philippines’ nuclear power preparations. This article is not only just about the Philippines and its plan to use nuclear energy, but also about ASEAN cooperation in nuclear safety, security, and emergency preparedness and response.
  PubDate: Fri, 03 Jun 2022 11:21:03 PDT
An Overview of Approaches to Nuclear Security in Ghana
- Authors: Raymond Agalga et al.
  Abstract: Ghana has significantly improved its nuclear security infrastructure over the years. However, as threats increase by the day and new applications of nuclear and radiological technology are designed and implemented, Ghana must develop a rigid and comprehensive approach to mitigating the negative impacts on its nuclear security while improving prevention, detection, and deterrence of nuclear and radiological terrorism within its geographical space. This paper overviews the approaches adopted by Ghana to build a strong nuclear security regime within the past decade. These include improving legal frameworks for nuclear security by establishing an independent Nuclear Regulatory Authority; assessing nuclear security culture in facilities; strengthening nuclear security capabilities at facilities that hold radioactive materials by improving physical protection systems for deterrence and detection; and building strong and effective collaboration and cooperation with various stakeholders, both locally and internationally, to distribute responsibility and provide technical and logistic support to build a stronger nuclear security regime. Ghana also identified developments in human capacity in areas of nuclear security as a relevant approach to improving its nuclear security and has thus collaborated with the IAEA and the University of Ghana to establish a graduate school for training Ghanaians and Africans in nuclear-related disciplines.
  PubDate: Thu, 28 Apr 2022 13:41:04 PDT
Effort and Prospective on Nuclear Security in ROK
- Authors: Jung Soo Kim et al.
  Abstract: As of July 2013, the Republic of Korea (ROK) has been operating a total of 23 nuclear power reactors at four sites with five new reactors under construction. In addition, the country has been planned to construct two more units at two candidate sites. But, at now, due to change the energy policy, only one candidate site has been constructed and one nuclear power plant has been decommissioned. Otherwise, ROK has also been exporting nuclear power plants to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and building a research reactor to Jordan. These performances have made the nation’s nuclear industry by far the fastest growing industry in the world. While Korea has focused on improvements in the field of nuclear safety (especially after the Fukushima accident), it continues to strengthen nuclear security as well. This was demonstrated when the country hosted the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit and in a speech made by nation’s president emphasizing the need for nuclear and cyber security during the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit(NSS). The paper examined the approaches leading to the establishment of the physical protection systems applied at the nuclear facilities in ROK based on CPPNM. Also, the paper will offer recommendations for further steps to improve the ROK’s existing nuclear security apparatus.
  PubDate: Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:21:07 PDT
Developing Nuclear Security Capacity of Indonesia’s Police and Security
Officer: Lessons from Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Pilot Training
- Authors: Susetyo Hario Putero Mr et al.
  Abstract: 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 they work and serve.Training materials were designed to introduce nuclear technology and provide the basic skills of handling nuclear security matters. The training was divided into 12 sessions, based on the needs stated by the Special Region of Yogyakarta's police chief. Lessons were delivered through traditional teaching, table-top exercises, exercises, and discussion. Fifteen-question pre-tests and post-tests were conducted to assess the officers’ knowledge of the training materials and the benefits of being trained. Based on the tests, we concluded that the participants’ understanding of nuclear security had improved. This increase in understanding was because the training materials fit their job needs, presented in various methods, and the participants’ awareness grew. It led to an increase in their awareness for securing the facilities utilizing radioactive sources in the Yogyakarta area. They said that the number of trainees in this event still does not meet the number of facilities that have to be secured. Therefore, the training should be carried out again and can be improved based on the participants' feedback. Furthermore, this training could be expanded and applied to the whole country.
  PubDate: Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:06:13 PDT
Peace and Nuclear-free Advocacy Revisited: Lessons from New Zealand and
Implications for Japan
- Authors: Pinar Temocin et al.
  Abstract: Although there are multiple pathways of conditions leading to desired policy outcomes, the viability of peace and nuclear-free advocacy can be related to the convergence of a strong, diverse, and active civil society, where leadership and a responsive political environment are well-integrated. We discuss that sociopolitical mobilizations (e.g. peace and nuclear-free advocacy), active civil society, and democratic institutions are not only linked to each other but are also co-existent. In this essay, we look at the case of New Zealand (Aotearoa) with its unique nuclear-free peace movement and find some implications for contemporary Japan, which is the only country which was subjected to atomic bombing but which does not support nuclear disarmament in its official policies, despite the presence of a long-standing peace movement and substantial majorities in favor of steps like Japan signing the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
  PubDate: Mon, 21 Mar 2022 10:06:20 PDT
Addressing Underground, Unmanned Threats: A Case Study of GPR Detecting
Illegal Objects at Nuclear Facilities and Enhancing Subterranean Physical
Protection Systems
- Authors: Md. Shamsul Huda Sohel et al.
  Abstract: In nuclear installations, any unmanned threat is unacceptable. Such threats are a major issue for the nuclear physical protection system (PPS). Although the PPS of a nuclear power plant (NPP) is well prepared to deal with threats above ground level, until now, a special PPS had never been developed for detecting and tackling underground threats. One example of such a threat is a weapon-carrying, unmanned object operated by remote. Using this technology, a terrorist could launch an attack and overcome security barriers. While a normal PPS would not detect the underground activities of a mobile object, a PPS using a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) could. Therefore, adopting GPR technology at nuclear installations would allow us to detect any illegal, unmanned intelligence object accessing an underground path and would strengthen the subterranean PPS.
  PubDate: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 14:21:15 PST
The Role of Nuclear Forensics for Determining the Origin of Nuclear
Materials Out of Regulatory Control and Nuclear Security
- Authors: Lekhnath Ghimire et al.
  Abstract: 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 nuclear forensics analytical plans, which are a laboratory analysis of physical and chemical properties of the collected or seized nuclear and radioactive materials. Besides nuclear materials, the non-nuclear and biological materials present in seized nuclear materials can also provide important information about the source and origin of nuclear materials. Upon complete analysis of the seized materials, the data interpretation to trace the origin of the nuclear and radiological materials is one of the most critical steps to identifying the origin of the materials, which depends on the availability of similar data to compare. So, each country should have its own incident register system (IRS) and collaborate with the International Technical Working Group (ITWG), Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB), and IAEA for data sharing and interpretation.
  PubDate: Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:51:42 PST
Structural Causes of the “Gender Gap” in Nuclear Security: An
Overview
- Authors: Şebnem Udum
  Abstract: This article elaborates on the discussion from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS) 2020 conference and discusses the reasons for the gender gap between professionals working in nuclear security. It puts forward the structural causes for women's choice of field and the formation of gender biases from the perspective of Political Science. It emphasizes the importance of having role-models for women working in the field and provides recommendations to increase the number of women working in nuclear security.
  PubDate: Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:55:33 PST
Women in Nuclear Science & Technology in India: Challenges &
Opportunities
- Authors: Arpita Datta et al.
  Abstract: 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 several frontline sectors like Information Technology (IT), Biotechnology, and on corporate levels. More recently, organizations, including the Indian government, have been promoting an awareness of gender equality in various fields including nuclear technology. Amity University has also been motivating women academicians to take a lead in various fields including nuclear technology and nuclear security. This paper describes various initiatives that the Government of India has taken, along with many Indian organizations, including Amity University, to promote women in various fields especially in nuclear technology. This paper also discusses the opportunities for Indian women, their contributions, and challenges.
  PubDate: Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:55:07 PST
There from the Beginning: The Women of Los Alamos National Laboratory
Supporting National and International Nuclear Security
- Authors: Olga Martin et al.
  Abstract: 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 Groups, such as the Atomic Women, to help the next generation succeed in their technical fields. The Laboratory’s commitment to diversity and inclusion continues to this day, with current Laboratory Director Thom Mason leading LANL as the first national laboratory to join the Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy.
  PubDate: Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:54:33 PST
Nuclear Security Awareness Survey at a University
- Authors: Marcia P. Robinson et al.
  Abstract: 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. The survey was divided into three categories: general awareness (GA), school specific awareness (SSA), and behavior response (BR) awareness. Because the overall population of a university is rarely homogenous, six demographic characteristic groups of age, gender, work-status, degree, ethnicity, and nationality were added to the survey to identify the disparities in the attitudes that exist within the group of non-radioactive material users and the survey response. The results indicated significant association of the demographic groups of gender, age, work-status, degree, and ethnicity with the mean response scores across the three survey categories. An ordinal logistic regression was performed to identify and predict the impact of the demographic characteristics on the survey response. Findings from this study predicted the work status demographic group of undergraduates and graduates (younger age sub-groups) to possess higher level of general and behavioral response awareness than the remaining relatively higher work status sub-groups and the corresponding older age demographic sub-groups. The results from the school specific awareness category demonstrated contradictory outcome than the GA and BR survey categories. The results of this investigation are valuable as it provides a provisional understanding of the disparities in perception on the degree of nuclear and radiological security awareness across a group of diverse socio-demographic characteristics.
  PubDate: Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:39:48 PST
Gift Baskets for South Asia: Nuclear Risk Reduction and Crisis Management
- Authors: Amber Jamil et al.
  Abstract: Gift Basket diplomacy is an interest-based approach to negotiation that encourages voluntary commitments as incentives for cooperation. International diplomats used this approach during the Nuclear Security Summits (NSS), and it is the new standard for international cooperation. This model was successfully replicated in climate talks and led to a global effort to combat climate change. The use of house presents, and gift baskets encourages leadership and team building, to excel beyond intractable consensus-based stalemates. The Gift Basket Diplomacy model may reduce South Asia’s nuclear risk and enhance crisis management by increasing diplomatic efforts during regional party talks and cooperative engagements, by keeping negotiators on a focused path to substantive counterterrorism and border security cooperation.
  PubDate: Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:39:19 PST
A Game Theoretical Model of Radiological Terrorism Defense
- Authors: Shraddha Rane et al.
  Abstract: Radiological dispersal devices (RDD) pose a threat to the United States. Healthcare facilities housing high-risk radioactive materials and devices are potentially easy targets for unauthorized access and are vulnerable to malevolent acts of theft or sabotage. The three most attractive candidates for use in RDD considered in this study are: 60Co (radiosurgery devices), 137Cs (blood irradiators) and 192Ir (brachytherapy high dose radiation device). The threat posed by RDDs has led to evaluating the security risk of radioactive materials and defending against attacks. The concepts of risk analysis used in conjunction with game theory lay the foundations of quantitative security risk management. This paper develops a two player non-cooperative one-shot simultaneous defender-attacker game. The defender (healthcare facility) chooses to defend one of the three high-risk radioactive material targets and the attacker (terrorists or adversaries) chooses to attack one of the three high-risk radioactive material targets. A risk-informed approach is used to model players’ payoffs or expected utilities for each choice of strategies. A game-theoretic model (RDD game) captures the strategic interaction between competing players who act rationally to maximize their expected utility. The evaluation of the RDD game results in a von Neuman max-min strategy solution being preferable to a mixed strategy Nash equilibrium solution. The von Neumann max-min strategy solution of the defender defending cobalt and the attacker attacking cesium is found to be the most prescriptive result, thus favoring the current efforts of phasing out cesium blood irradiators and replacing them with alternative technologies. The RDD game not only gives the defender strategic options to budget scarce security resources but also helps healthcare facilities make optimal choices under severe uncertainty about the terrorist threat.
  PubDate: Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:38:53 PST
Women Leading the Way
- Authors: Laura S.H. Holgate et al.
  Abstract: As a feature of this issue, we asked some of the most notable women in the nuclear security profession to share their stories. Knowing that other women overcame circumstances that women still face instills hope, shows leadership, and provides mentorship to us all.
  PubDate: Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:38:31 PST
Foreword
- Authors: Elena Buglova
  Abstract: The commitment to achieving nuclear security globally needs the efforts of both men and women, as diversity and gender equality bring benefits to all fields. However, women are underrepresented in nuclear security, as well as in the nuclear field in general, so it is important to understand and tackle the barriers that women can face to joining and thriving in the field, and I believe this special issue of the International Journal of Nuclear Security (IJNS) on Women in Nuclear Security will help in this regard.
  PubDate: Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:38:08 PST
A Special Thanks to Distinguished Supporters
- Authors: Ashley A. Humphrey
  Abstract: Rhonda Evans, Head of Program Development at World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS), and Oum Keltoum Hakam, Education Officer at International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), have been key supporters of this special issue from the beginning. Along with Danielle Dahlstrom, they both started out as guest editors. They supplied a list of reviewers for this issue and bolstered its importance to some of the most notable professionals in the sector. Despite not having to do any of the editorial work in the journal (thanks to timing, professional responsibilities, and the pandemic), their contribution and continued support deserves a special thanks.
  PubDate: Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:37:46 PST
Letter from the Editor
- Authors: Ashley A. Humphrey
  Abstract: It is vital for women to share their experiences with others; it shrinks the distances among us, creating stronger bonds. It builds camaraderie and community. It is also vital for women to document and share their journey so others can see tangible progress and use it as a tool in their own right. So, here is my story, my confession, about being editorial liaison for the IJNS Special Issue on Women in Nuclear Security.
  PubDate: Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:37:23 PST