Nuclear security

How to Spot a Nuclear Bomb Program? Look for Ghostly Particles

What are nations like North Korea and Iran really doing at nuclear reactors that are out of sight?

Someday, wispy subatomic particles known as antineutrinos could provide a clear view of what countries with illicit nuclear weapons programs are trying to hide.

Antineutrinos are devilishly difficult to detect, but this quality is precisely what makes them potentially ideal for monitoring international nonproliferation agreements aimed at preventing the spread of atomic weapons.

A collaboration of American and British scientists announced on Tuesday that they would build a test antineutrino detector called Watchman in a mine on the northeast coast of England. The project is sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration, part of the United States Department of Energy.