Instrumentation for monitoring nuclear materials

This article deals with industrial systems developed by states wishing to meet their non-proliferation commitments.

Having ratified the Non-Proliferation Treaty on August 2, 1992, France has decided to play an active role in the development of techniques for monitoring nuclear materials. In this context, this document briefly addresses the political context in which these actions take place, with particular emphasis on the specific nature of each monitoring organization.

After a brief reminder of the properties of nuclear materials on which the design of measuring equipment is based, the following paragraphs present the characteristics of each type of inspection system, highlighting their impact on the work of inspectors belonging to the various inspection bodies.

It's important to understand that the inspector has to collate a whole range of data (nuclear and non-nuclear) in order to carry out his expert assessment. Thus, "classic" industrial techniques find their place in this article, knowing that they must be adapted to the constraints of the particular environment linked to the presence of radioactive or even fissile materials for some of them.

The final paragraph attempts to identify the main trends in radioactive material monitoring techniques in an international context which shows us daily how acute the problem of non-proliferation is throughout the world.