DYNAMIC EXPLORATORY VISUALIZATION OF NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE VERIFICATION DATA IN SUPPORT OF THE STATE EVALUATION PROCESS

The IAEA collects vast amounts of data for nuclear material accountancy (NMA), including State declarations and inspector verification results. Beyond supporting primary verification objectives, this data can be used to assess the performance of the State/regional system of accounting and control of nuclear materials (SSAC/RSAC) and to provide one of the main factors that allow an objective determination of the verification level to implement in a State. The IAEA has traditionally utilized quantitative statistical analysis of State-declared and inspector verification data through the implementation of material balance evaluation (MBE) in order to reach a technical conclusion on the non-diversion of declared nuclear material and the absence of misuse of declared facilities. While MBE continues to be a cornerstone of IAEA assessments, its scope remains restricted to material balance areas (MBAs) within facilities. Recent computing advances have improved the feasibility and utility of graphical statistical methods. Based on a concept presented in a previous INMM paper [1], this sequel paper presents prototypes of dynamic exploratory data visualizations of nuclear material flow in a State which can potentially be complementary to quantitative statistical analysis methods. In particular, such visualizations serve as a powerful aid in understanding a State’s fuel cycle, performing acquisition path analysis and identifying aspects of the fuel cycle where material balance evaluation will significantly contribute to achieving technical objectives as well as areas where verification effectiveness should be optimized.