Selection Process For Samples For The National Nuclear Materials Archive

Nuclear forensics is an important international commitment toward countering proliferation and nuclear terrorism recognized in several IAEA documents and international agreements. In February 2018, a U.S. nuclear posture review was issued to ensure a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent that protects the homeland, assures allies, and deters adversaries. The nuclear posture review identified the need to “continue to improve our ability to attribute the source of a nuclear attack by establishing a nuclear materials archive to store, consolidate, and analyze high-value nuclear materials.” In September 2019, the Office of Nuclear Forensics (NA‑83) released the National Nuclear Materials Archive (NNMA) Program Plan which describes how the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) will manage the NNMA. This paper summarizes the process of identifying and selecting high-value nuclear materials for the archive as outlined in the Program Plan.