ST&NS -Opening Thoughts Science, Technology & National Security Early considerations: Historical definitions of national security* Scientists and the.

ST&NS -Opening ST&NS -Opening ThoughtsThoughts

Science, Technology & National SecurityEarly considerations:

•Historical definitions of national security*

•Scientists and the politics of national security -historical considerations

•Federal agencies, scientists, and national security

•Politicians and the national security leverage of science & technology

•Cultural contrasts between scientists and national security staff

•The balance between civilian and military development of technology for national security

STNS -Terms and STNS -Terms and DefinitionsDefinitions

• Science: the pursuit of knowledge that Science: the pursuit of knowledge that reveals the character of nature.reveals the character of nature.

• Technology: the exploitation of nature Technology: the exploitation of nature for individual or collective gain.for individual or collective gain.

• National security: domestic tranquility National security: domestic tranquility and the preservation of national and the preservation of national interests at home and abroad.interests at home and abroad.

A Premier Example of STNS: A Premier Example of STNS: The Manhattan Project 1940-The Manhattan Project 1940-4545

• Project triggered by letter from Einstein Project triggered by letter from Einstein to FDR (1939).to FDR (1939).

• Project driven by gathering of American Project driven by gathering of American and émigré European scientists.and émigré European scientists.

• Project funded and guided by American Project funded and guided by American military and political leaders. military and political leaders.

Scientific Understanding: Scientific Understanding: Knowledge and the Root of PowerKnowledge and the Root of Power

Fission & Fusion

Lise Meitner Otto Hahn Leo Szilard Edward Teller Stan Ulam Andrei Sakharov

Manhattan Project: The Fermi ReactorManhattan Project: The Fermi Reactor

•Inducing controlled fission

http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/welcome/history/08_Chicago-reactor.html

The People Who Built the First Nuclear ReactorThe People Who Built the First Nuclear Reactor

The scientists who worked on the project were back row, from left, Norman Hilberry, Samuel Allison, Thomas Brill, Robert Nobles, Warren Nyer, and Marvin Wilkening. Middle row, Harold Agnew, William Sturm, Harold Lichtenberger, Leona Marshall and Leo Szilard. Front row, Enrico Fermi, Walter Zinn, Albert Wattenber and Herbert Anderson.

http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/welcome/history/08_chicago-reactor.html

Converting Scientific Converting Scientific Knowledge Into Knowledge Into Technological Power: the Technological Power: the Manhattan Project (1940-Manhattan Project (1940-45)45)• Identify fissile fuels.Identify fissile fuels.

• Isolate fissile fuels in bomb-grade Isolate fissile fuels in bomb-grade purity.purity.

• Assemble these fuels into a super-Assemble these fuels into a super-critical mass.critical mass.

• Deliver this technology to a target.Deliver this technology to a target.

Manhattan Project: a Manhattan Project: a Nation-wide EndeavorNation-wide Endeavor

•Los Alamos

•Hanford

•Oak Ridge

Manhattan Project: Manhattan Project: Acquiring the Fissile FuelAcquiring the Fissile Fuel

•The K-25 plant, Oakridge

•http://www.fas.org/nuke/hew/Usa/Med/Med.html

Manhattan Project: First Test of “The Gadget.”Manhattan Project: First Test of “The Gadget.”

http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/welcome/history/14_gadget-born.html

Manhattan Project: Manhattan Project: Testing the Design of an Testing the Design of an A-bombA-bomb

•http://www.fas.org/nuke/hew/Usa/Tests/Trinity.html

The Manhattan Project: The Manhattan Project: Collaboration of Science Collaboration of Science With the MilitaryWith the Military

•http://www.fas.org/nuke/hew/Usa/Tests/Trinity.html

Manhattan Project: Two Manhattan Project: Two Bomb Designs, Fatman & Bomb Designs, Fatman & Little BoyLittle Boy

•http://www.fas.org/nuke/hew/Usa/Med/Lbfm.html

The Manhattan Project: The Manhattan Project: delivering the weapondelivering the weapon

Fatman dropped on Nagasaki -August, 1945

http://www.fas.org/nuke/hew/Usa/Med/Lbfm.html

Manhattan project: Manhattan project: Technology & Public PolicyTechnology & Public Policy

Nagasaki, August 9, 1945Robert Oppenheimer

Enrico Fermi

Vannevar Bush

From A-bomb to H-bomb: Technology and From A-bomb to H-bomb: Technology and National Security in the Cold WarNational Security in the Cold War

•The USA and the USSR, allies in WWII become adversaries

•The USSR explodes an atomic bomb (1949)

•American scientists explore the design of an H-bomb (1950-52)

•The USA and the USSR enter into a competition of nuclear weapons development

Testing the Theory; Building the Testing the Theory; Building the ArsenalArsenal

Science in pursuit of knowledgeand

influence upon national security policy

The Design of a Fusion BombThe Design of a Fusion Bomb

History of Weapons TestingHistory of Weapons Testing

The Cold War -a Frenzy of Nuclear Weapons The Cold War -a Frenzy of Nuclear Weapons TestingTesting

Ivy Mike Test (1952)

http://www.fas.org/nuke/hew/Usa/Tests/Ivy.html

Testing H-Bombs; Harvesting International Testing H-Bombs; Harvesting International OutrageOutrage

• USA, USSR, and Britain test weapons design in the atmosphere, in space, under water.

•Background radiation in parts of the world increase.

•Bravo test showers The Lucky Dragon with heavy fallout (1954).

•India, within the UN leads an initiative to end testing.

Other Nations, Other TestingOther Nations, Other Testing

Nation First Nuclear DetonationUSA 1945USSR 1949England 1952France 1959China 1964India 1974Pakistan 1998South Africa ?Israel -

Craig, Jungerman, Nuclear Arms Race, 1990.

The Cold War Nuclear Arms RaceThe Cold War Nuclear Arms RaceNuclear Warheads in the World

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

800001 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51

Years of Production

Nu

mb

er

of

Wa

rhe

ad

s

US

SU

UK

FR

CH

Total

http://www.nrdc.org/find/nustock.html

Fallout & Detection of Nuclear Fallout & Detection of Nuclear ExplosionsExplosions

The Collision of Politics and The Collision of Politics and TechnologyTechnology

From 1945-1963, there are 650 test detonations of nuclear devices --most exploded in the atmosphere.

In 1963, international fear of radio-active fallout prompts the LTBT.

From 1963 to the present, a twilight struggle to ratify a CTBT ensues --and another 1100 nuclear detonations occur.

The Motivations for Testing Nuclear The Motivations for Testing Nuclear WeaponsWeapons

•Stockpile stewardship

•Innovation

•Sustaining technical expertise

•Modernizing nuclear explosion detection systems

•Weapons effects

•Political

STNSSTNSThe Science & Technology of Stockpile The Science & Technology of Stockpile

StewardshipStewardship

•The explosive core in the primary of a nuclear weapon is plutonium.

•Plutonium decays (half-life = 24,100 years)

239Pu 235U + 4He

•Alpha particles induce crystal modifications within the core that reduce its explosive yield and the reliability of the weapon.

Sidney Drell, et al, Science, 2/19/99.

The American Investment in a Nuclear Arsenal

1945-2000

•600,000 people work on the production of the arsenal

Fuel productionWarhead design and fabricationDesign testingPhysics package assemblyWeapons assembly

•At a cost of $5.5 trillion , that is $5.5 x1012

C&E News, Vol. 78, p. 10, Feb 7, 2000.

STNSSTNSNuclear Weapons Testing: New Nuclear Weapons Testing: New

RealitiesRealities

•High-speed computing and microscopic ignition of fusion

•Growing global supplies of fissile fuel

•Underemployed weapons scientists

•Escalating regional conflict

•Global commerce

•Ease of information flow

STNSSTNSThe History of CTBT:The History of CTBT:

The Collision of Political and Technological The Collision of Political and Technological ThoughtThought

•1956 - 1958 --Failed American Soviet negotiations

•1958 - 1961 --Testing moratorium

•1963 --The LTBT

•1976 --The TTBT

•1996 --The CTBTsigned

•1999 --CTBT ratification not recommended by Senate

CTBTCTBTTechnology and Detection:Technology and Detection:The Hinge of the DilemmaThe Hinge of the Dilemma

CTBT is a ninety-nine page document, largely concerned with establishing and operating the International Monitoring System (IMS)

IMS is a collection of 321 seismic, infrasound, hyroacoustic, and radio-nuclide sensors distributed among 89 nations and Antarctica

Each nation will establish National Data Centers (NDC) and links to an International Data Centre (IDC), for purposes of sharing data

Big Government and Big Science Big Government and Big Science The Science & Technology of CTBTThe Science & Technology of CTBT

The Comprehensive Test Ban The Comprehensive Test Ban TreatyTreatyCTBTCTBT

The purpose of CTBT is

to discontinue experiments like this one

C&E News, October 19, 1998

CTBTCTBTListening for Nuclear ExplosionsListening for Nuclear Explosions

http://www.ctbt.rnd.doe.gov/ctbt/introduction/infrasound_mon.html

50 Stations

distributed

World-wide

CTBTCTBTSeismology and Detection of Nuclear Seismology and Detection of Nuclear

ExplosionsExplosions

Developing the algorithms and databases required for reliable detection at 167

stations

Los Alamos and Livermore National Labs

Nuclear Arms Control AgreementsNuclear Arms Control Agreements