Session AA: Plenary I: Nuclear Threat and Mitigation I

Nuclear Physics for Nonproliferation with the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium

The Nuclear Science and Security Consortium (NSSC) is a multi-institution initiative established by the National Nuclear Security Administration to train the next generation of nuclear security experts. Through partnerships between the NSSC's 11 academic institutions and 5 U.S. DOE National Laboratories, the Consortium engages in collaborative research and development in the foundational disciplines required for the nuclear security professional—nuclear physics is key in this regard. The Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Data Focus Area within the NSSC includes both curiosity and mission-driven work to address key questions in nuclear physics while training students in new detection methods and experimental techniques. This presentation will provide a broad overview of the NSSC, an introduction to the Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Data Focus Area, highlights of nuclear physics research projects with impact for the nuclear security mission, and opportunities for current and aspiring scholars in this space.   

Nuclear Weapons and the Risk of Nuclear War

The Cold War ended 30 years, but nuclear weapons and the threat of nuclear war are still with us. Nine countries together deploy about 10,000 nuclear weapons, most with a destructive potential an order of magnitude greater than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. The United States and Russia, which together account for 90 percent of global stockpiles, each maintain about 1000 nuclear weapons on constant alert, ready to be launched in a few minutes. Arms control agreements that have constrained US and Russian arsenals and provided stability are on the brink of collapse, and both countries are poised to field a new generation of nuclear weapons. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has increased the risk of nuclear war through miscalation or escalation, and Russia has threatened to use nuclear weapons if its vital interests are imperiled. Physicists played a vital role at the beginning of the nuclear age and throughout the Cold War in engaging policymakers about nuclear dangers and advocating for policies to reduce them. Physicists should again take a leading role in educating the public and policymakers.