Design and characterization of the fission signature assay instrument for nuclear safeguards

Rossi, F.; Koizumi, Mitsuo; Rodriguez, D.; Takahashi, Tone

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting 2023 (Internet), 5 Pages, 2023/05

Denuclearization study on possible future options for dismantlement and verification of Uranium Enrichment Facility

Hori, Masato; Tazaki, Makiko; Shimizu, Ryo; Kimura, Takashi; Nakatani, Takayoshi

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting 2023 (Internet), 8 Pages, 2023/05

To improve preparedness of future denuclearization, series of study to achieve effective and efficient denuclearization have been performed in JAEA. As part of this study, this paper focus on dismantlement and verification of potential uranium enrichment facility and potential nuclear material in the uranium enrichment facility, considering (a) peaceful use operation, (b) freeze, (c) disablement, (d) dismantlement, (e) removal from the state as potential options.

Efforts for appropriate responses to safeguards activities, 1; Overview

Aoki, Rie; Shirafuji, Masaya; Nozaki, Teo; Akutsu, Narumi*; Miyaji, Noriko; Nakamura, Hironobu

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting 2023 (Internet), 7 Pages, 2023/05

JAEA-JRC collaborative development of delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy for nuclear safeguards nuclear material accountancy

Rodriguez, D.; Abbas, K.*; Bertolotti, D.*; Bonaldi, C.*; Fontana, C.*; Fujimoto, Masami*; Geerts, W.*; Koizumi, Mitsuo; Macias, M.*; Nonneman, S.*; et al.

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting 2023 (Internet), 8 Pages, 2023/05

The Design and implementation of the PGA measurement system in an integrated Active Neutron non-destructive analysis system, "Active-N"

Furutaka, Kazuyoshi; Ozu, Akira; Toh, Yosuke

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Virtual Annual Meeting (Internet), 9 Pages, 2021/08

The FM(C)T; When and how to realize it?

Kumekawa, Hirokazu; Tsuboi, Hiroshi*; Unesaki, Hironobu*

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Virtual Annual Meeting (Internet), 10 Pages, 2021/08

Since FM(C)T was proposed, nearly three decades have passed. Although numerous proposals have been made by many governments, institutions and experts, there has been no sign of convergence of opinions toward its realization. In the meantime, the TPNW entered into force in January 2021, which accentuates the gap between the global desire for the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons and the hard reality. Realization of the FM(C)T is even more expected as a practical step for narrowing the gap. Although various proposals for the realization of FM(C)T were well summarized in the report by the high-level fissile material cut-off treaty expert preparatory group in 2018, it clearly indicates that further effort is needed in formulating proposals to bridge the existing gaps among various proposals based on the analysis of diverse opinions. Thus it could be concluded that, for the realization of the FM(C)T, what is missing is a strategy or logical steps to converge the diverse opinions into a consolidated proposal that should serve as a springboard for discussion. As the opinions are so diverse, it is impossible to satisfy all the relevant parties completely. There must be some level of compromises that each State has to make in order to bring the FM(C)T into reality. The questions should be how to prepare an optimal and realistic proposal that maximizes the chance to be agreed among key member states. The NPT has established a norm for nuclear non-proliferation together with comprehensive safeguards agreements and the norm is being further strengthened through the universalization of additional protocols. Compared with the effort for enhancing nuclear non-proliferation, advancement of nuclear disarmament has stagnated. Although the idea for TPNW was proposed after that for an FM(C)T, the TPNW has been realized. Compared with the TPNW, FM(C)T should be much more achievable target. From the historical perspective, the leadership of leading nations is now tested.

Good practices of the online training on physical protection of nuclear materials and facility

Noro, Naoko; Scharmer, C.*; Kawakubo, Yoko; Sekine, Megumi; Okuda, Masahiro; Inoue, Naoko

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Virtual Annual Meeting (Internet), 10 Pages, 2021/08

In the amid of COVID-19 pandemic, Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN) of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) developed and conducted regional training course on physical protection of nuclear materials and facility (PP RTC) for Asian countries in October 19-30, 2020 as an online course. Maintaining the quality of in-person two-week training through online platforms was a big challenge. For effective learning, ISCN combined e-learning (self-study) and interactive learning (virtual classroom) for its online PP RTC, and engaged participants through group exercise via Zoom meeting. The paper will describe efforts of ISCN and SNL to develop the online curriculum of PP RTC and share lessons learned and good practices for course development and course implementation. The paper will also explore future application of online contents in nuclear security capacity building even after the pandemic.

Development and implementation of online trainings at ISCN/JAEA

Inoue, Naoko; Noro, Naoko; Kawakubo, Yoko; Sekine, Megumi; Okuda, Masahiro; Hasegawa, Nobuhiko*; Naoi, Yosuke

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Virtual Annual Meeting (Internet), 10 Pages, 2021/08

Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN) of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) celebrated its 10th anniversary in December 2020. One of its pillars is capacity building support mainly to Asian countries. 183 trainings were implemented with more than 4,600 participants since its establishment, however, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted in the implementation of the trainings. ISCN/JAEA has started to develop the online trainings since April 2020, and implemented two regional trainings, Physical Protection and State System of Accounting for and Control (SSAC) for IAEA Safeguards in October and November 2020, respectively. The efforts continue in further development of trainings/workshops, including the regional training on Additional Protocol for IAEA Safeguards Agreement Commodity Identification Training, and other two national workshops with foreign instructors. Online training can provide not only training opportunities for those who have difficulty in traveling for security and safety reasons including under the travel restriction by COVID-19 pandemic, but also could serve in making them more effective and efficient, especially by the combination with in-person trainings. The pandemic, as a result, accelerate ISCN/JAEA to develop and implement the online trainings, which key is the international collaboration with the partners including IAEA, DOE/NNSA and Sandia National Laboratories and International Nuclear Nonproliferation and Security Academy (INSA) of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC). This paper will provide the efforts of ISCN/JAEA how to address the online training development and implementation, current status, lesson learned, and future plan.

Application of virtual tour for online training safeguards exercises

Sekine, Megumi; Sukegawa, Hidetoshi; Ishikuro, Yasuhiro; Oyama, Koji; Obata, Takashi; Hayashi, Kazuhiko; Inoue, Naoko

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Virtual Annual Meeting (Internet), 10 Pages, 2021/08

The Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN) of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) developed the virtual tour of a reference nuclear facility. The developed virtual tour was applied to the Design Information Questionnaire (DIQ) workshop exercise for the online SSAC course held in November 2020 in connection with the IAEA safeguards-related regional training course. Also, it was applied to the Complementary Access (CA) exercise for the online workshop of the Nuclear Security and Safeguards Project under the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA), held in February 2021. The workshop exercises have been implemented for in-person format however due to COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual tour was applied. The virtual tour was found to be a strong tool not only for online training as an alternative for a facility tour, but also considered to be more advantageous even for the in-person training. The developed virtual tour of a reference nuclear facility, going to shut down, can find potentially varied applications. The paper describes how to create a virtual tour of a reference research reactor facility for the DIQ and CA exercises respectively which have different learning objectives. It emphasizes how the features of the reference facility were captured and the challenges encountered to convey to the training participants the importance of providing the required design information while not being physically present at the facility. It also show the advantage of using the same virtual tour to describe the safeguards-related verification activities of a complementary access. Virtual tours can be applied to a variety of training.

Material attractiveness evaluation of actinides in Pyroprocessing Facility for partitioning and transmutation cycle

Oizumi, Akito; Sagara, Hiroshi*

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Virtual Annual Meeting (Internet), 7 Pages, 2021/08

Research and development of partitioning and transmutation (P&T) cycle with accelerator-drive systems (ADSs) transmuting minor actinides (MAs) separated from the commercial cycles has been continuously conducted to reduce the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) contained in spent fuel discharged from nuclear power plants. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has proposed a pyrochemical process for reprocessing ADS spent fuel with high decay heat and radioactivity due to the large amount of MA. Since the chemical form and composition of the fuels are different from those of the current commercial cycles, it is necessary to examine the inspection goal of the safeguards (SGs) and the design level of physical protections (PPs) which are required for the P&T cycle. In this study, the material attractiveness was evaluated assuming the diversion of the Cd cathode and the nitride powder from the pyroprocessing in terms of non-proliferation. Additionally, they were compared with the material attractiveness of the MOX fuel assemblies (fresh and spent fuels) for a conventional boiling water reactor (BWR). The Cd cathode used to recover actinides from ADS spent fuel by molten salt electrolysis in the pyroprocessing facility of P&T cycle was less attractive than the MOX fuel assembly for the BWR because the Cd cathode included Pu having high decay heat. The nitride powder electrorefined from the ADS spent fuel was also less attractiveness than the MOX fuel assembly for the BWR because of the same reasons of the Cd cathode.