Nuclear Program Research Articles

In Search of Energy Security: Nuclear Energy Development in the Visegrad Group Countries

The Visegrad Group, comprising Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, has several common features, including their geographical proximity, membership in the EU and NATO, and similar levels of economic development. However, they also have significant differences. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has exposed new disagreements among them, particularly regarding how to ensure energy security amid a changing geopolitical landscape and the issue of sanctions on Russian energy supplies. Despite these differences, the Visegrad Group countries have shown unity in their approach to nuclear power. Although their use of nuclear technology varies, they have recently aligned their nuclear energy policies. Czechia and Slovakia have a long history with nuclear technology, dating back to the 1970s, while Hungary began its nuclear program in the 1980s. Poland, which had paused its nuclear program after the Chernobyl disaster, has recently resumed its nuclear energy efforts. All four countries aim to expand their nuclear energy capacity to either maintain or increase its share in their electricity mix. This paper provides a comparative analysis of their nuclear energy policies, focusing on the political initiatives driving advancements in this field. It argues that these nations see nuclear energy as crucial for creating a resilient, crisis-resistant, and secure energy sector.

Gathering around a satellite image: Visual media cycles of the nuclear nonproliferation complex.

How have Western nongovernmental experts used remote sensing to make public knowledge about Iran's nuclear program? This article recounts several episodes in which experts and journalists congregated around satellite images to uncover hidden nuclear objects in Iran. Drawing from the theoretical tradition of co-production, I describe this recurrent collective experience as an imaginative exercise that can both coordinate and transform diverse communities of knowledge. I outline common temporal and thematic structures that define these episodes, and illuminate the role of commercial satellite imagery as material anchor that threads distributed imaginings together such that broadly-shared experience and sensibility can emerge. I argue that these collective imaginative practices have fomented civic-epistemic closure, not around affirmative nuclear facts or beliefs about Iran, but around a set of persistent questions about the 'possible military dimensions' of its nuclear past. I close by exploring the broader political effects of this form of recursive inquiry within the global nuclear order.

Assessing Pakistan’s Fissile Material Production

Reports suggest that Pakistan’s indigenous, military nuclear program faces a natural uranium shortage, limiting fissile material production. However, Pakistan has recently built three new plutonium-producing reactors and significantly expanded its reprocessing capabilities. The solution to this apparent contradiction could be an optimized fuel cycle, in which reprocessed uranium is reused to produce more fissile material from the same natural uranium stocks. To estimate Pakistan’s highly enriched uranium (HEU) and plutonium production, this article combines a statistical framework with fuel cycle and reactor simulation codes. It explores different scenarios that Pakistan could use to efficiently allocate its limited uranium resources. The results indicate that Pakistan cannot support simultaneous HEU and plutonium production in a once-through fuel cycle, and that HEU production can only be sustained in alternative cycles. Calculations suggest plutonium stockpiles of 370 to 660 kg and, depending on the scenario, HEU stockpiles of 3,090 to 5,540 kg by the end of 2022.

A Review of the Lawrence Livermore Nuclear Accident Dosimeter 1980s-present

A Nuclear Accident Dosimetry program is a federal requirement for all facilities that have the potential to have a criticality accident. Personnel Nuclear Accident Dosimeter (PNAD) theory and analytical procedures are driven by various scientific needs and interacting regulations. A brief history of the status of USA Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear accident dosimetry regulations, recommendations, and performance testing criteria are given. Then, the history of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) PNAD is explored, including changes in the physical dosimeter and adjustments of the analysis method through the last four decades. Finally, the performance of LLNL’s PNAD at criticality accident intercomparison training exercises since 2009 is explored. In general, reported neutron doses have been within or close to DOE-STD-1098 performance criteria while reported gamma doses have been outside of DOE-STD-1098 performance criteria. Reported total absorbed doses have varied in meeting ANSI/HPS N13.3 and ANSI/HPS N13.3 (R2019) performance criteria. Dosimetry staff retirement and turnover have left historical knowledge gaps, yet provided opportunities within the NAD program at LLNL. This review paper serves as an overview of the history and status of the NAD program. Brief technical, procedural and programmatic recommendations to improve LLNL’s NAD program are given. Technical recommendations include investigating orientation factors through modeling or empirical experimentation, investigating gamma dosimetry methods for high-dose scenarios, and exploring other dosimetric methods for simpler, quicker NAD analysis. Procedural recommendations include better documentation of conversion factor (activity-to-fluence and fluence-to-dose) derivations and spectrum uses, and updated analysis spreadsheets or simple Graphic User Interfaces for dose calculations. Programmatic recommendations include formalized training for NAD analysts, and having multiple SMEs trained on the NAD program.

Engineering mtDNA Deletions by Reconstituting End-Joining in Human Mitochondria.

Combining prokaryotic end-joining with targeted endonucleases generates specific mtDNA deletions in human cellsEngineering a panel of cell lines with a large-scale deletion that spans the full spectrum of heteroplasmy75% heteroplasmy is the threshold that triggers mitochondrial and cellular dysfunctionTwo distinct nuclear transcriptional programs in response to mtDNA deletions: threshold-triggered and heteroplasmy-sensing.

Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea's Nuclear Program by Siegfried S. Hecker with Elliot A. Serbin (review)

Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea's Nuclear Program by Siegfried S. Hecker with Elliot A. Serbin (review)

Manipulative Strategies, Emotion and Framing in Iran and Israel over Nuclear Program Crisis A Critical Ideological Analysis

Manipulative Strategies, Emotion and Framing in Iran and Israel over Nuclear Program Crisis A Critical Ideological Analysis

Continuity and change in US–Iran relations: Analyzing the Iranian nuclear deal from Obama to Biden

AbstractIran's pursuit of a civilian nuclear program raises concerns over the potential security threat it poses to the United States and its Middle East allies. The US suspects that Tehran's lack of compliance with the Nuclear Non‐Proliferation Treaty signifies its intention to build atomic weapons. This article aims to examine the strategies implemented during the presidencies of Obama, Trump, and Biden to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear arsenals. Employing a constructivist theory, the study examines how each administration constructed identities, perceptions, and norms regarding Iran, and how these shaped their diplomatic approaches. Drawing on a comprehensive data of primary and secondary sources, this research sheds light on the identities, perceptions, and power dynamics shaping US–Iran relations.

Interphase chromosome conformation is specified by distinct folding programs inherited via mitotic chromosomes or through the cytoplasm.

Identity-specific interphase chromosome conformation must be re-established each time a cell divides. To understand how interphase folding is inherited, we developed an experimental approach that physically segregates mediators of G1 folding that are intrinsic to mitotic chromosomes from cytoplasmic factors. Proteins essential for nuclear transport, RanGAP1 and Nup93, were degraded in pro-metaphase arrested DLD-1 cells to prevent the establishment of nucleo-cytoplasmic transport during mitotic exit and isolate the decondensing mitotic chromatin of G1 daughter cells from the cytoplasm. Using this approach, we discover a transient folding intermediate entirely driven by chromosome-intrinsic factors. In addition to conventional compartmental segregation, this chromosome-intrinsic folding program leads to prominent genome-scale microcompartmentalization of mitotically bookmarked and cell type-specific cis-regulatory elements. This microcompartment conformation is formed during telophase and subsequently modulated by a second folding program driven by factors inherited through the cytoplasm in G1. This nuclear import-dependent folding program includes cohesin and factors involved in transcription and RNA processing. The combined and inter-dependent action of chromosome-intrinsic and cytoplasmic inherited folding programs determines the interphase chromatin conformation as cells exit mitosis.

Spectacle of Iran’s Nuclear Deal: From Settlement to Withdrawal to Re-negotiation

Iran’s nuclear program has been a constant priority agenda of international non-proliferation community for decade’s now. The Comprehensive Framework for Joint Plan of Action (JCOP) concluded as a result of intensive negotiations among negotiating parties on April 2, 2015. This deal was considered as a diplomatic breakthrough with regard to Iran’s nuclear program. President Trump withdrew from the deal unilaterally in 2018 on the pretext of being ineffective in curtailing Iran’s missile program and offensive proliferation designs. Iran also declared not to comply the provisions of deal as retaliation of US unexpected exit. After President Biden’s ascending to power prospects of renegotiations brightened. However, despite few attempts, no tangible step of concrete negotiations has taken so far. This paper endeavors to narrate the course of Iran’s nuclear deal with exclusive focus on post US withdrawal events. The paper endeavored to analyze responses of different US administrations towards the deal. For instance, nuclear deal concluded and came into force under Obama’s administration; US unilaterally withdrew from the deal under Trump administration, and Biden’s administration struggling to renegotiate the deal. A holistic review of the deal including major events, would help to understand US threat perceptions vis-à-vis a nuclear Iran and the handling of this threat perception under different administrations, reveling the fault-lines between democrats and republicans on Iranian nuclear deal issue at one hand and US and other negotiating partners at other hand. However, despite the divergent opinions to handle nuclear Iran, all parties seem to converge on one point, to avoid military confrontation in Middle East.

Recommendations for Protective Actions Based on Projected Public Health Risks Following a Postulated Nuclear Power Plant Accident

This study conducted a regional assessment of the environmental and health consequences due to the release of radionuclides, including the most harmful, such as Cs-137 and I-131, from a hypothetical reactor accident at the first Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, in Turkiye under different meteorological conditions. Simulations of the atmospheric flow were done using a Gaussian-based probabilistic model. Based on the estimated air and land contamination, radiation doses and cancer risks to the population were calculated. The assessment results were then compared with the criteria for protective actions in the event of a radioactive release and were subsequently used to assess the sufficiency of the Precautionary Action Zone (PAZ) and Urgent Protective Zone (UPZ) provided by regulations. The assessment indicated that evacuation outside the UPZ would likely be required during the early phase of the emergency, while sheltering indoors might be necessary up to 80 km. Protective actions such as restrictions on being outdoors or iodine prophylaxis are needed far beyond the radius of the UPZ. These results provide important insights into safe protective measures to reduce the risk of radiation-related cancer when considering a hypothetical severe nuclear accident. In addition, the results of this study aim to improve the current nuclear emergency response program and support nuclear decision-making.

Iran’s Foreign Policy from Non-Alignment to ‘Look to the East’: Between Ideology and Pragmatism

In the wake of the 1979 Revolution, the newly established Islamic Republic of Iran aimed to chart an autonomous foreign policy distinct from the Cold War’s binary dynamics, proclaiming a stance of ‘neither East, nor West’. From the outset, this non-alignment aspiration exposed the many diverse interpretations of this political concept, which served to accentuate Iranian particularism and factionalism. Despite the Islamic Republic’s commitment to the principles of non-alignment over decades, shifts in the global landscape and domestic economic imperatives have gradually pushed Tehran toward more conciliatory approaches with nations beyond the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), leading it to increasingly align itself with ‘the East’, particularly Russia and China. Since the latter half of the 1980s, Tehran has actively sought to bolster its foreign relations with countries beyond the NAM, culminating in recent developments such as the 2015 multilateral agreement on Iran’s nuclear program and the forging of the respective 20-year cooperation pacts with Russia and China. This article explores the transformation of Iranian non-alignment, examining the various political and economic factors that have compelled the Islamic Republic to uphold its revolutionary ideology of self-determination and independence, while at the same time pursuing more pragmatic policies seemingly at odds with the principles of non-alignment.

High-Temperature Line List of Phosphaethyne (HCP).

Phosphaethyne (HCP) has been detected in circumstellar envelopes; its spectroscopic line list is helpful for modeling the relevant atmospheric opacity. We present the first comprehensive line list for HCP(X1Σ+) using robust first-principles methods. The analytical potential energy surface and dipole moment surface were constructed based on 26478 ab initio points from coupled-cluster calculations, along with the considerations of core-valence electron correlation and scalar relativistic effects. The variational nuclear motion program TROVE was used to obtain the ro-vibrational energy levels, Einstein A coefficients, and so on. The J-dependent Coriolis-decoupled Hamiltonian was adopted in the variational calculations with k ≤ 20, and the linear molecule treatment was applied to consider the l-type doubling of the bending vibration. The line list contains almost 0.45 billion transitions between 1.21 million levels with rotational excitation up to J = 200. It covers the wavenumber range of 0-9000 cm-1 (wavelengths above 1.11 μm) and is suitable for temperatures up to 3000 K. The millimeter wave spectra agree well with the experiments, and the Fermi resonance between 2v2 and v3 bands has been reproduced.

China's nuclear power in the context of decarbonization of the global energy industry

The global structure of energy resource consumption is analyzed. It is shown that the total consumption of energy resources in the 20th century increased almost 15 times and amounted to about 118 PWh in 2000. Of these, more than 80% were fossil (natural) energy carriers, 13 % were renewable energy sources and more than 6 % were nuclear power. This trend has continued for many years. Renewable energy sources and nuclear power are projected to dominate the growth of global energy consumption, meeting on average more than 90 % of the additional demand. China ranks first in the world in terms of GDP and the rate of development of the electric power complex, as well as in terms of production volume and the rate of development of nuclear power. The structure of electricity generation by fuel type in countries (TOP 5, 2021) with high energy consumption has been analyzed. It is shown that the main players in this market are three countries: China (30 %), USA (13 %) and India (6 %). The volume of electricity production in China is almost three times larger than in the EU countries and almost 7 times larger than in Russia. The structure of nuclear energy and China's achievements in this field are considered. It is shown that in the context of nuclear technologies (creation of fourth-generation reactors, development of technologies close to the full closed cycle of nuclear waste processing) China is already ready to significantly expand the scope of nuclear energy. Special attention is paid to the safety of nuclear facilities operations. The main problem China will face is the absence of an insurmountable barrier between civilian and military use of such technologies. This poses a serious threat to the ecology and life safety of the country. In the long term, nuclear power must also solve the problem of safe, long-term disposal of radioactive waste. It is shown that in the future China needs to re-examine its nuclear program in the context of cooperation with International Nuclear Security Organizations.

The impact of Iran's nuclear program on relations between Western countries and the Islamic Republic of Iran after 2015

This paper aims to research the turning point of Iranian nuclear program. Subsequently, it also deals with the relations of the deal with political changes in Iran. The significance of the subject is that it is one of the most controversial topics of contemporary international relations. A political analysis method has been conducted and the research’s data have been dealt with by the method of variables. The main argument of the essay is as follows: while the Islamic Republic of Iran claims, she is entitled to atomic activities for peaceful purposes, the international community distrusts their rhetoric. The international community is proving, with evidence, that the Islamic Republic aims to acquire atomic weapons, hidden behind the program. Iran cannot convince the international community that she does not have militaristic goals behind the program, given several revelations on her unlawful activities by IAEA. Meanwhile, the international community has been unable to find a diplomatic solution, even with the varieties of sanctions, to deter Iranians from following the atomic ambitions. As a result, the JCPoA seems to be dissolved, raising the probabilities of political and even military tensions.

Damned If They Do, Damned If They Don't: The Assurance Dilemma in International Coercion

Abstract Why do some coercive demands succeed but others fail? A dominant paradigm explains coercive outcomes by pointing to the credibility and severity of threats. The concept of coercive assurance is an understudied type of commitment problem in the coercion literature. It suggests that a coercer must assure its target that its threats are conditional on the target's behavior. Many scholars overlook coercive assurance, in part because they assume it is automatic. But assurance is a crucial component of any coercive process. Even highly credible and severe threats can fail when the coercer's assurance is not credible. A novel theory, the assurance dilemma, helps to answer the following questions: Why do targets of coercion fear unconditional pain? Why do coercers punish after receiving compliance? What is the relationship between threats and assurances in coercion? The actions that a coercer can take to bolster the credibility of a threat undermine the credibility of its assurance that it will not punish the target. Targets fear that punishment may be unavoidable and thus look for assuring signals before ceding to the coercer's demands. The case of coercive bargaining over the Iranian nuclear program demonstrates the logic and effectiveness of the use of assurance.

Reconsidering the Overlooked Threat of North Korea's Outer Space Activities: Focusing on the Menace of Militarization and Weaponization of Outer Space

What security implications do North Korea's purported peaceful space activities have? North Korea's recent launch of a reconnaissance satellite not only raises concerns about its nuclear weapons program but also has broader implications for international security. The nuclear threat posed by North Korea is certainly growing. However, there seems to be an overlooked security threat in North Korea's space initiative: the threat of militarization and weaponization of outer space. Therefore, the security policy toward North Korea must be changed comprehensively to address the militarization and weaponization of space, as North Korea's threats can be transformed by the use of space. North Korea's destructive weapons and strategies, such as EMP attacks and space hybrid operations, are not prohibited, even when they appear to be aligned with the outer space legal regime. Hence, rather than concentrating only on nuclear weapons, this study proposes that a fundamental shift in policy is required.

Analysing the Effects of Cyber Security on National Security from a Realist Perspective: "Stuxnet" Example

In this study, the effects of providing cyber security on national security are examined from a realistic perspective using the example of the Stuxnet virus. It has been stated that the increasing complexity of cyber threats due to technological advances poses serious risks to states' national security. In the study, the critical role of cyber security in protecting national security is emphasized through the Stuxnet attack. The Stuxnet attack is a cyber-attack on the facilities where Iran carried out its nuclear enrichment program in 2010. As a result of this attack, it was revealed that Iran had both interruptions in its nuclear program and a weakness in cyber security. As such, it is underlined that cyber security can affect the international balance of power and the strategic interests of states. From a realist perspective, since ensuring national security requires a resilient defense against cyber threats and vulnerabilities, it has become necessary to consider cyber security as an important parameter in determining national security policies. This study reveals the interdependent relationship between cyber security and national security in this age when cyberspace has become a very important arena for power struggles. Considering these reasons, it has been recommended that states, which realists consider the main actor in the international system, should make investments that will support their cyber security to protect their national security.

Ядерная стратегия КНДР и готовность к применению ядерного оружия

Active efforts by both countries on the Korean Peninsula to build up military capabilities over recent years have increased the conflict potential of Northeast Asia and raised the possibility of conflict, including one involvingnuclear weapons use. In connection with the nuclear status and perception of the DPRK in the expert community, especially in the West, it is customary to speculate about the outbreak of the conflict on its initiative. However, the intentions of the DPRK leadership and readiness to use nuclear weapons should be assessed not on the basis of official rhetoric, which is part of propaganda and information warfare, but on the basis of nuclear strategy. The present article attempts to identify the real nuclear strategy of the DPRK based on the analysis of its nuclear doctrine and trends in the development of the nuclear and missile program.

The EU and the Abraham Accords: From Scepticism to Engagement

The Abraham accords signed in Washington in September 2020, a series of joint normalization statements between Israel the UAE and Bahrain followed by Morocco in December 2020, were a game changer in the Middle East. Those Accords provide the pathway to the end of the Arab Israeli conflict and a future of peace, tolerance and opportunity in the Middle East and around the world. Those accords proved that there is a new way for negotiations in the Middle East. One could have been surprised that the EU was not engaged in the Accords when signed. The fact that Europeans believe in the two-state solution as the only solution and the fact that the American President Donald Trump was behind the Accords made Europe skeptical to the Accords. But reality made the difference: The war in Ukraine brought its challenges and Iran’s interference in the conflict (supplying drones to Russian’s army) provoked a real concern in Europe. The Iranian nuclear program seemed again a threat to the west and not only to Israel and Gulf countries. conflict management played a role. This paper depicts how Europe went from skepticism to engagement concerning the Abraham Accords. Geo-political interests were clear: geopolitical realignment, a great potential for Africa and energy and food supply potential in connection to those Accords. Furthermore, cooperation as well as development in foreign affairs played a role in Europeans’ choice. Keywords: Abraham Accords, Israeli-Arab conflict, cooperation, international relations