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February 27, 2025

Updated guide to nuclear material detection

Modern technologies detailed in manual for nuclear safeguards field

2025-02-27
Transmission (blue background) and emission (black background) image reconstructions of drums. This illustration appears in a section of the book covering gamma-ray nondestructive assay applications and techniques. Credit to: William H. Geist et al., Springer, CC BY 4.0

An open-access book published by the Safeguards Science and Technology group at Los Alamos National Laboratory describes techniques used to nondestructively measure the presence of uranium and plutonium in a variety of settings.

People, organizations and agencies working in nuclear safeguards and security use these techniques to

  • detect and deter clandestine nuclear weapons programs,
  • prevent insider attempts to steal nuclear materials,
  • support safeguards conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

The 735-page book is a substantial revision to Passive Nondestructive Assay of Nuclear Materials — the so-called PANDA manual — that has been a classic reference since 1991. The new edition, Nondestructive Assay of Nuclear Materials for Safeguards and Security, can be downloaded for free as a PDF through Springer.

Get the book

Why this matters: The book’s extensive revisions are of interest to practitioners in the field of safeguarding and securing nuclear materials, including inspectors, operators and trainers.

  • For this second edition, the editors drew on their vast international experience and engaged the help of their Los Alamos colleagues, as well as other national labs and organizations.
  • The expanded reference covers modern approaches and technologies to nondestructively measure nuclear material.
  • Nuclear data values have been updated.

Funding: This work, which supports the Lab’s global security mission, was funded by the DOE/NNSA offices of NA-241 (Office of International Nuclear Safeguards) and NA-211 (Office of International Nuclear Security). 

LA-UR 25-20454

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Public Affairs | media_relations@lanl.gov

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