Compact neutron sources for zero knowledge warhead verification via epithermal neutron transmission analysis

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.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Engel, Ezra Max.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Areg Danagoulian.

• Nuclear Science and Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• 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.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/123361

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/123361