http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/weapons_technology/ Read the latest developments in non-lethal weapons, weapons of mass destruction (WMD), nuclear weapons, chemical weaponry and more. en-us Mon, 12 May 2008 21:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 21:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/weapons_technology/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421123231.htm Rising energy and environmental costs may prevent nuclear power from being a sustainable alternative energy source in the fight against global warming, according to a new study. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421123231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417105453.htm Newly published data from the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, the Soviet Union's primary nuclear weapons testing ground during the Cold War, can help today's atomic detectives fine-tune their monitoring of nuclear explosions around the world, according to new research. The treasure trove of data from Semipalatinsk are especially important in light of the fact that only three nuclear tests -- back-to-back tests in India and Pakistan in 1998 and a 2006 test in North Korea -- have been conducted since the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1996. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417105453.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414115101.htm Advanced gas reactors offer more efficient operation, less waste disposal and other benefits over water-cooled reactor designs used in U.S. nuclear power plants. But creating fuel that burns efficiently and reliably in the higher temperatures of advanced gas reactors has been a challenge -- until now. Fuel fabricated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in cooperation with Idaho National Laboratory and the Babcock & Wilcox Company, has demonstrated the most successful performance ever for U.S. advanced gas reactor fuel. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414115101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408132133.htm Scientists have developed a new method for rapidly and safely destroying toxic agents such as chemical weapons and pesticides. When tested in solution, full destruction of all three tested agents was achieved in less than 30 seconds. Testing on contaminated surfaces showed virtually complete decontamination of the agents in 10 minutes -- the shortest of the time periods tested. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408132133.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408144812.htm Escalating oil and gas prices along with the global challenge of climate change has in the past few years spurred a generation of scientists to pursue alternative energy sources while redirecting the focus away from fossil fuels. What is the current status, limitations and future challenges of alternative energy sources? Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408144812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311110638.htm One of the great ongoing challenges of astrophysics, to find out how stars evolve and die, is to be tackled in an ambitious European research program. This will involve studying in the laboratory over 25 critical nuclear reactions using low-energy stable beams of ions, in order to understand stellar evolution. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311110638.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313091522.htm International inspectors may have a new tool in the form of an antineutrino detector, that could help them peer inside a working nuclear reactor. Scientists recently demonstrated that the operational status and thermal power of reactors can be quickly and precisely monitored over hour-to month-time scales, using a cubic-meter-scale antineutrino detector. The detector could be used to determine the operational amount of plutonium or uranium necessary to run the reactor and place a direct constraint on the amount of fissile material the reactor creates throughout its lifecycle. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313091522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310094352.htm The Federal Government may need at least 20 years longer than previously planned -- and an additional $50 billion -- to clean up radioactive and hazardous wastes at nuclear weapons sites, according to a new article. Clean-up costs may reach $305 billion at about 25 sites where nuclear weapons materials were manufactured. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310094352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304100413.htm Nuclear energy must increase by more than 10% each year from 2010 to 2050 to meet all future energy demands and replace fossil fuels, but this is an unsustainable prospect. According to a new report such a large growth rate will require a major improvement in nuclear power efficiency otherwise each new power plant will simply cannibalize the energy produced by earlier nuclear power plants. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304100413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303190649.htm Nuclear power has advantages, but, if this method of making power is to be viable long term, discovering new solutions to radioactive waste disposal and other problems are critical. Chemists are now focusing on metal sulfide materials as a possible source for nuclear waste remediation methods. The new material is extremely successful in removing strontium from a sodium-heavy solution, which has concentrations similar to those in real liquid nuclear waste. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303190649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226213451.htm A robotics expert has issued stark warnings over the threat posed to humanity by new robot weapons being developed by powers worldwide. He expressed concerns that we are beginning to see the first steps towards an international robot arms race. He will warn that it may not be long before robots become a standard terrorist weapon to replace the suicide bomber. Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226213451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080216142207.htm The first question asked after an atomic explosion in the US (or elsewhere) would be, "Who did this to us?" But the US ability to answer that question rapidly has faded since the end of the Cold War. A former director of the nuclear weapons laboratory in Livermore, California says a rejuvenated nuclear forensics program is urgently needed. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080216142207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204161422.htm The Homeland War in Croatia, which occurred from 1991 to 1995, led to an increase in weapon-related deaths of children during and five years after the end of the war, according to a new report. Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204161422.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129201238.htm Using the radiocarbon dating method and special proteins in the lens of the eye, researchers can now establish, with relatively high precision, when a person was born. This provides a useful tool for forensic scientists who can use it to establish the date of birth of an unidentified body and could also have further consequences for health science research. Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129201238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080122154415.htm Researchers are working with the state of Indiana to develop a system that would use a network of cell phones to detect and track radiation to help prevent terrorist attacks with radiological "dirty bombs" and nuclear weapons. Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080122154415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071211094937.htm A RAND Corporation study issued recently gives rail security planners and policymakers a framework to develop cost-effective plans to secure their rail systems from terrorist attacks. Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071211094937.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127120500.htm Millions of gallons of hazardous nuclear waste are stored in the Hanaford site. With the Columbia River bordering much of the site, where these nuclear wastes migrate, their composition, and how fast they are traveling are of vital importance to both people and the environment. Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127120500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071123203623.htm In an effort to find an answer to the problem of identifying smuggled special nuclear material, researchers say a neutron scatter camera they are developing may be able to detect radiation from much greater distances and through more shielding than current detection instruments. Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071123203623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071117205349.htm Chemists have prepared the first uranium methylidyne molecule ever reported, despite the reactivity of uranium atoms with other molecules. This new molecule is a hydrocarbon containing a uranium-carbon triple-bond. This finding contributes to chemists' fundamental understanding of uranium chemistry. Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071117205349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108155357.htm Radioactivity, discovered more than 100 years ago and studied by physicists ever since, would seem to be a relatively closed subject in science. However, since the 1960s, the pursuit of at least one open question about how nuclei spontaneously eject various particles has continued to nag experimentalists, largely because of an inability to make precise measurements of fleeting, exotic nuclei. Physicists now describe a first-ever success in peering closely at radioactive decay of a rare isotope at the edge of nuclear existence. Thu, 15 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108155357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071109191903.htm A new project will pair two of the world's most powerful supercomputers to boost the safety and reliability of next-generation nuclear power reactors. Scientists will create highly detailed computer models of a new proposed type of nuclear reactor. These models could play a key role for the future development of the new reactors, which meet stringent safety and nonproliferation criteria, can burn long-lived and highly radioactive materials, and can operate over a long time without using new fuel. Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071109191903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071105091923.htm Amid continuing concerns that anthrax might be used as a bioterrorism weapon, government researchers report development of a faster, more sensitive blood test for detecting the deadly toxins produced by the anthrax bacterium, Bacillus anthracis. The test produces results in only 4 hours and could save lives by allowing earlier detection of infection, they say. Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071105091923.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030140302.htm If terrorists were to attack with a dirty bomb, medical authorities should be prepared to treat children differently than adults because their developing bodies would absorb and respond to the radiation exposure in distinct ways, according to a new study. Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030140302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071029172824.htm The research and development component of the US Department of Energy's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, a program that aims to reprocess spent nuclear fuel which could then be shared with partner countries, should not go forward at its current pace, says a new report from the National Research Council. Wed, 31 Oct 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071029172824.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024090816.htm A team of researchers from North Carolina State University, the University of Michigan and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have constructed a low-energy positron beam at NC State's PULSTAR nuclear reactor with the highest positron rate of any such facility worldwide. Positrons, the antiparticle of electrons, are generated using the intense radiation in the vicinity of the reactor core. Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024090816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070914172642.htm Scientists are developing field instrument capable of detecting and identifying radioactive particles at the site of potential contamination. The device will enable authorities to quickly test dust, soil, water and crops in the event of a terrorist attack such as a "dirty" bomb. It is constructed using the metal coil filament from a standard slide projector bulb powered by a 12-volt battery, such as the type used to start boats or automobiles. Environmental samples of suspect particles are dissolved in liquid, and droplets are placed on the coil. Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070914172642.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917150439.htm Researchers have developed of a portable device to help track down builders of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) -- those homemade fertilizer bombs that have wreaked such havoc in terrorist attacks around the world. The researchers point out that IEDs have become a mainstay weapon for terrorists, resulting in an urgent need for new technology to identify and eliminate the sources of the explosives. Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917150439.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917151054.htm For two generations of physicists, it has been a standard belief that the neutron, an electrically neutral elementary particle and a primary component of an atom, actually carries a positive charge at its center and an offsetting negative charge at its outer edge. But new research finds the neutron actually carries a negative charge at its center and outer edge, with a positive charge in between. Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917151054.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070821143617.htm Ever since the Manhattan project in World War II, actinide chemistry has been essential for nuclear science and technology. Yet scientists still seek the ability to interpret and predict chemical and physical properties of actinide compounds and materials using first principle theory. Computational actinide chemistry may bring that goal closer to achievement. Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070821143617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725143452.htm A trio of security vulnerabilities surrounding the use of nuclear power are highlighted in recent research papers. The first threat is at the source of the raw material for nuclear power itself, the uranium mine, processing plant, and transport route. The second threat is from saboteurs with expertise in the industry and the security of nuclear installations. Finally there are security risks at the waste end of the nuclear industry. Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725143452.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070726210905.htm In the event of a radiation or nuclear attack by terrorists, it will be essential to provide the public with accurate information on risks and how to minimize health effects. A team of the nation's top radiation biologists, led by a scientist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is developing an Internet-based training course to help radiation experts meet this challenge. Mon, 30 Jul 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070726210905.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070724160209.htm Renewable does not mean green. That is the claim of Jesse Ausubel of the Rockefeller University in New York. He explains that building enough wind farms, damming enough rivers, and growing enough biomass to meet global energy demands will wreck the environment. Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070724160209.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070718113939.htm International review shows leukaemia death rates in children aged zero to nine were elevated by up to 24 percent near nuclear facilities and incidence rates by up to 21 percent. Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070718113939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070703172656.htm Army personnel involved in the Iraqi invasion of 2003 have not absorbed dangerous levels of depleted uranium, finds research published ahead of print in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Thu, 05 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070703172656.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070628072949.htm Proposals to reduce America's heavy dependence on foreign oil are helping to renew interest in nuclear energy. At Kansas State University, the goal is to help make that energy source as safe as possible. Mon, 02 Jul 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070628072949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070621112808.htm Researchers are designing a lightweight, high-caliber, self-propelled cannon system. The weapon system, known as the Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon is fully automated and can fire at a sustained rate of six rounds per minute. Sat, 23 Jun 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070621112808.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070424121852.htm An independent study group, convened by AAAS's Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy, has issued a report on the proposed Reliable Replacement Warhead and its role in the future US nuclear weapons program. Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070424121852.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070410182906.htm In the current Fox television adventure series, "24," a terrorist explodes a small nuclear bomb in Los Angeles. In a May 2007 issue of the journal Health Physics, Carnegie Mellon researchers offer simple advice that ordinary citizens can use when faced with such threats. Wed, 11 Apr 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070410182906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070407172832.htm The terrorist attacks, carried out on September 11th 2001 in the USA and later on the London Underground, in Moscow and Madrid, have made the whole world see the real threat of international terrorism in a different light. Researchers have concentrated their efforts on the development of methods and special equipment with which it will be possible to detect explosive objects in advance. Mon, 09 Apr 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070407172832.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070403112103.htm Using a nuclear medicine technique and molecular imaging to "see" programmed cell loss -- the body's normal way of getting rid of unneeded or abnormal cells -- may help in early identification of those individuals who are at risk of developing heart failure, say researchers in the April Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Wed, 04 Apr 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070403112103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402215144.htm In the event of a nuclear or radiological catastrophe -- such as a nuclear accident or a "dirty bomb" -- thousands of people would be exposed to radiation, with no way of quickly determining how much of the deadly substance has seeped inside their bodies. Scientists have developed a new blood test to rapidly detect levels of radiation exposure so that potentially life-saving treatments could be administered to the people who need them most. Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402215144.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070328155602.htm Researchers at Rutgers University have unlocked some of the physical and chemical secrets of plutonium. In this week's issue of Nature, physicists report that the valence electrons fluctuate among different orbitals in solid plutonium metal on a very short time scale. In contrast, earlier theories specified fixed numbers of valence electrons in those orbitals. The Rutgers findings help explain some contrary characteristics of plutonium. Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070328155602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070321092710.htm Limited supplies of fuel for nuclear power plants may thwart the renewed and growing interest in nuclear energy in the United States and other nations, says an MIT expert on the industry. Thu, 22 Mar 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070321092710.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070320103821.htm A new study by researchers at the Center for Mass Destruction Defense (CMADD) at the University of Georgia details the catastrophic impact a nuclear attack would have on American cities. The study highlights the inability of the nation's current medical system to handle casualties from a nuclear attack. It also suggests what the authors said are much needed yet relatively simple interventions that could save tens of thousands of lives. Wed, 21 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070320103821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070319091214.htm Almost 62 years after detonation of the first atomic bombs, the United States is considering controversial proposals to produce a new generation of nuclear weapons and revamp its nuclear weapons complex, according to an article scheduled for the March 19 issue of Chemical and Engineering News. Mon, 19 Mar 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070319091214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070305140943.htm A test recently used by the UK government's Independent Depleted Uranium Oversight Board to detect exposure to UK troops by depleted uranium (DU) during the 1991 Gulf Conflict was developed by a team led by a University of Leicester geologist. Tue, 06 Mar 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070305140943.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070220011350.htm A sound and safe agricultural system is critical to national security, but are US crops, a cornerstone of the nation's economy, vulnerable to attack? The latest information on strategies currently in place and what is still needed to keep US crops safe from terrorist attack was presented by Jacqueline Fletcher, Sarkeys Distinguished Professor of Plant Pathology at Oklahoma State University, during the 2007 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070220011350.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070117134034.htm A Sandia National Laboratories researcher has developed a simulation program designed to track the illicit trade in fissile and nonfissile radiological material well enough to predict who is building the next nuclear weapon and where they are doing it. Thu, 18 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070117134034.htm