NE 541 Nuclear Nonproliferation Technology and Policy
3 Credit Hours
Technology and policy challenges and solutions to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Topics include: issues of nuclear proliferation inherent to civilian nuclear power development; technologies, processes, and policies for safeguarding nuclear materials and technology; integrating the preceding subjects to strengthen the global nuclear nonproliferation regime.
Prerequisite
Graduate standing in Nuclear Engineering or instructor permission.
Course Objectives
The high-level learning objectives of this course include:
- Characterize the dynamics of nuclear proliferation in association with nuclear fuel cycle technology development.
- Describe and discuss the history, structure, strengths and weaknesses of international nuclear nonproliferation regimes.
- Identify and describe the technologies employed for nuclear nonproliferation and safeguards.
- Describe how technology and policy work together to address the issues in nuclear nonproliferation and safeguards.
Course Requirements
Homework: students will complete several homework assignments designed to reinforce the course content and objectives. The assignments will include quantitative problems on the underlying nuclear science and engineering enabling international nuclear nonproliferation regimes and qualitative questions on the policies that implement those regimes. Homework assignments will contribute 20% to the final grade.
Q&A with guest lecturers: students will directly interact with subject matter experts representing Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in video teleconference (VTC) sessions following in-class guest lectures. Students will be required to submit questions to the guest lecturers in advance of the VTC sessions. Participation in guest lecturer Q&A sessions will contribute 20% to the final grade.
Midterm exam: there will be a take-home midterm exam approximately halfway through the semester. The midterm will test the students’ ability to apply the material covered in the first half of the course to solving quantitative problems and answering qualitative questions on the technology and policy enabling international nuclear nonproliferation regimes. The midterm will contribute 20% to the final grade.
Historical proliferation case study: students will team to conduct a case study based on a country that was involved proliferative activities (e.g., Argentina and Brazil, India, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, South Africa, or South Korea). The scenarios will be characterized by capabilities of the state (economic, industrial, and military), types and characteristics of nuclear facilities and human resources, the objectives of the proliferative activities, the types of proliferation actions, and the outcome of those actions. Each team will develop policy lessons from the country for world nuclear nonproliferation. The case study will be summarized in a report and an oral presentation to the class. The case study will contribute 20% to the final grade.
Final exam: there will be a take-home final exam. The final will test the students’ ability to apply the material covered in the first half of the course to solving quantitative problems and answering qualitative questions on the technology and policy enabling international nuclear nonproliferation regimes. The final will contribute 20% to the final grade.
Lectures will be delivered synchronously online and recorded, and lecture notes, homework assignments, and exams will be distributed via the course Moodle site. Distance education students must sign into all VTC Q&A sessions with guest lecturers. Distance education students must coordinate their research and writing of the case study report and presentation with their study partner, and they must present the case study via VTC.
Textbook
James Doyle, editor, Nuclear Safeguards, Security and Nonproliferation : Achieving Security with Technology and Policy, ISBN: 9780750686730
Updated 11/01/2020