Nuclear

Monitoring nukes with social media
Acting Undersecretary of State for Arms Control Rose Gottemoeller is actively trying to find a way to incorporate social media tools to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation and keep fissile materials out of the hands of terrorists; the department wants to have crowdsourcing tools developed that could help ordinary citizens monitor a government’s nuclear activity and whether it was adhering to its stated promises
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U.K. worried about dirty bombs
U.K. deputy prime minister Nick Clegg warned that materials to make a dirty bomb are readily available – so much so, that police forces cannot hope to contain such a threat; “That is a stateless threat, impossible for any national police force, no matter how advanced, to contain,” he said
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U.S. helps Ukraine detect dirty bombs at Euro 2012 tournament
In advance of the Euro 2012 soccer tournament in Ukraine, security officials are stocking up on radiation detectors due to growing concerns of a dirty bomb attack during the event
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Fukushima accident caused only low levels of fallout in U.S.
Fallout from the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power facility in Japan was measured in minimal amounts in precipitation in the United States in about 20 percent of 167 sites
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Nuclear accidents pose “essentially zero risk" to public health
A new study by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) concluded that there is only a “very small” risk to public health if a severe nuclear accident were to occur in the United States
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Illinois first responder receive wearable radiation detectors
First responder across Illinois will soon be outfitted with portable personal radiation detectors to detect dirty bombs and increase safety
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New way to detect underground nuclear tests
A new analysis of satellite data from the late 1990s documents for the first time the “uplift” of ground above a site of underground nuclear testing, providing researchers a new tool for analyzing the strength of underground nuclear detonation
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Researchers develop glow in the dark explosive detectors
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed new explosives and chemical detectors that glow when dangerous substances are present
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RMD awarded $3.65 million in government funding for nuclear detection research
Last week RMD Research was awarded two contracts worth $3.65 million total by DHS’ Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to develop gamma and neutron radiation detectors
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U.S. deploys radiation detectors in Chinese port
As part of its ongoing efforts to secure terrorists from attacking the global shipping system via cargo container, the United States recently reached an agreement to deploy radiation scanners at the world’s largest container processing port in Shanghai
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Hybrid detector monitors alpha, beta, and gamma radiation simultaneously
By combining three layers of detection into one new device, a team of researchers from Japan has proposed a new way to monitor radiation levels at power plant accident sites; the device could limit the exposure times of clean-up workers by taking three measurements simultaneously
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Universal Detection developing radiation detector for smartphones
Last week Universal Detection Technology announced that it had begun development of a radiation detection device designed to work with smart phones
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Rapiscan to develop advanced nuke detection tech for DHS
DHS’ Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) recently awarded Rapiscan Systems a contract worth as much as $7 million to develop advanced new technologies to address the nation’s most pressing challenges in detecting nuclear materials
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New materials hold promise for better detection of nuclear weapons
Researchers have developed new materials that can detect hard radiation, a very difficult thing to do; the method could lead to a hand-held device for detecting nuclear weapons and materials, such as a “nuclear bomb in a suitcase” scenario
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Detecting contraband radioactive material
Researchers are building a highly sensitive instrument that will detect illicit radioactive materials with pinpoint accuracy from a safe distance; such materials, located in shipping ports, train stations, truck stops, or warehouses, potentially could be used to make dirty bombs or associated with a nuclear device itself
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