TEMEDET

TEMEDET: Technical Challenges in Metrological Response to a Nuclear Detonation

Current developments on the world stage have increased the probability of the use of nuclear weapons and it is imperative that countries improve their capacity to respond – both to incidents within their borders and in situations where assistance is requested by another state. The TEMEDET activity addresses the technical metrological challenges posed in responding to the detonation of a nuclear device. Measurement of contamination is a fundamental aspect of response to any event involving nuclear or radioactive material. In many countries, “response” and the metrological approaches involved in that response have been developed within the context of nuclear accidents in the conventional sense (power plants, etc.) or dispersal of limited suites of isotopes (dirty bombs, dispersal devices etc). Nuclear detonations generate suites of isotopes that are, for many, outside of their experience and that can present metrological challenges. TEMEDET will address this aspect and aims to provide a means of practicing metrological response to a nuclear detonation. This will be achieved through the development of a series of data sets of the type generated in responding to a nuclear incident that will reflect the complexities involved in nuclear detonations.

Mark Dowdall:  mark.dowdall@dsa.no 

phone number: +47 67162500