Compact neutron sources for zero knowledge warhead verification via epithermal neutron transmission analysis
Name
1134768345-MIT.pdf
Size
3.02 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
66c967cca0c0b037cf3cdb4a81f00ae1
Author(s)
Engel, Ezra Max.
Advisor(s)
Areg Danagoulian.
Date Issued
2019
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
In anarchic international environments, verification methods improve the viability of arms control agreements and disarmament measures by allowing party states to escape the security dilemma. However, warhead verification requires confident assurance of warhead authenticity while protecting design information about the interrogated object. Zeroknowledge physical cryptography provides a solution to the verification paradox by introducing system designs that do not require electronic information barriers and protect sensitive information during measurement. Compact epithermal neutron sources enable the verification process to occur on-site and minimize the security risk of transporting special nuclear material to dedicated verification facilities. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of a tomographic approach to zero-knowledge physical cryptography, and MC simulations offer promising results for compact epithermal neutron sources.
Description
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2019
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 67-71).
Subjects
Nuclear Science and Engineering.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Terms of Use
MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.
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