Principal Investigator Michael Golay
Co-investigators Charles Forsberg , Richard Lanza , Richard Lester
Project Website http://web.mit.edu/nse/research/security.html
Throughout its history the nuclear science and engineering community has faced the challenge of fulfilling the promise of low-cost, zero-carbon power generation while also preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. The future expansion of nuclear power is, in significant part, predicatedon effective control of access to nuclear materials, facilities, and know-how.
MIT's Nuclear Science and Engineering Department has participated in nuclear security-related activities since its inception, and continues to address the issue on both the strategic and technical levels. Our work in the nuclear fuel cycle makes a top priority of minimizing the production of and access to weapon-usable material, and Department faculty and students were also central participants in a major interdisciplinary study, The Future of Nuclear Power, which provided guidance on security policy and technology. In the longer run, our fusion research could have important implications for the security aspects of nuclear power.
The faculty members, research staff, students and graduates are today contributing to national and international non-proliferation goals, for example though leadership of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and development of new intelligence-gathering capabilities. Other work includes the development of advanced technologies for detection of special nuclear materials and other sensitive materials, application of risk assessment methodologies to nuclear security problems, and participation in programs of the National Nuclear Security Administration.