Proliferation, Plutonium and Policy: Institutional and Technological Impediments to Nuclear Weapons Propagation

By: Alexander De Volpi

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Synopsis: Proliferation, Plutonium and Policy/Institutional and Technological Impediments to Nuclear Weapons Propagation provides a comprehensive account of the political and technological aspects of nuclear weapons proliferation. The technical feasibility of denaturing plutonium is addressed and the extent of the weapons proliferation problem is analyzed. Strategies for minimizing nuclear weapons propagation are recommended. This book is comprised of four chapters and opens with an overview of nuclear fission and the problem of nuclear weapons proliferation, paying particular attention to the importance of international agreements and safeguards in achieving a meaningful (but non-zero) level of restraint on nuclear weapons proliferation. The next chapter considers the use of denatured plutonium and other fission reactor byproducts as a technological option for mitigating proliferation problems. The impact of denatured plutonium on the global operation of nuclear reactors is also discussed. The final chapter assesses the major implications of all proliferation problems within the framework of a sound antiproliferation strategy. This monograph will be of interest to political scientists, policymakers, diplomats, and government officials.