THE EMERGING SAFEGUARDS CHALLENGE OF LASER ISOTOPE SEPARATION TECHNOLOGIES

The concept of uranium enrichment by laser isotope separation (U-LIS) has been around for decades, but the technology required was originally only accessible to a small number of countries, many of which already possessed extensive enrichment capabilities based on diffusion or centrifugation. However, advances in laser technology over the last decade, especially advances in solid-state laser technology, coupled with the increased use of lasers in many industrial applications, has made LIS capable laser systems widely available. The IAEA is therefore faced with the dual challenges of 1) developing methods for safeguarding future LIS enrichment plants, and 2) developing techniques to detect the construction or operation of small, undeclared LIS enrichment plants. This paper reviews the challenges involved in finding undeclared LIS activities, discusses potential techniques that can be applied to this problem, and identifies shortcomings that still need to be addressed. An undeclared HEU/plutonium production plant based on LIS technology would be difficult to detect. Firstly, the process could be housed in a relatively small, nondescript facility. Secondly, the equipment required could be relatively small, and the laser systems could even be located in a different building. Finally, the laser and vacuum systems for LIS applications would be virtually indistinguishable from similar systems acquired or manufactured for common industrial applications. On the positive side, the process would likely be messy, leaving abundant traces of feed, product, and tails in the environment, and associated conversion facilities might also provide indications. Techniques available to the IAEA for detecting undeclared activities include measures under the Additional Protocol (AP), environmental sampling, satellite imagery and the State Evaluation process. The application of each of these techniques to the problem of detecting the development of LIS capabilities or the construction and operation of a small, undeclared LIS plant is discussed. Areas where these techniques are inadequate to the task are also identified in order to stimulate the development of improved technologies and procedures.