The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
Subtitle: technical issues for the United States
By: Committee on Reviewing and Updating Technical Issues Related to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ; Policy and Global Affairs ; National Research Council of the National Academies
Contributors: National Research Council (U.S.). Policy and Global Affairs
Publisher: National Academies Press
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Washington, D.C
Language: eng
Number of pages: 204
ISBN-13: 9780309149983
Subjects: Nuclear arms control; Nuclear weapons; Government policy; Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty; Testing; Detection; Maintenance and repair; Congresses; Verification; Seismology
Other titles: CTBT--technical issues for the U.S.
Description: This report reviews and updates the 2002 National Research Council report, Technical Issues Related to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). This report also assesses various topics, including: the plans to maintain the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile without nuclear-explosion testing; the U.S. capability to detect, locate, and identify nuclear explosions; commitments necessary to sustain the stockpile and the U.S. and international monitoring systems; and potential technical advances countries could achieve through evasive testing and unconstrained testing.  Sustaining these technical capabilities will require action by the National Nuclear Security Administration, with the support of others, on a strong scientific and engineering base maintained through a continuing dynamic of experiments linked with analysis, a vigorous surveillance program, adequate ratio of performance margins to uncertainties. This report also emphasizes the use of modernized production facilities and a competent and capable workforce with a broad base of nuclear security expertise.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-198).

Also available in Open Book format via the National Academies Press home page.
Table of contents: title: Safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile; title: Technical monitoring capabilities and challenges; title: Sustaining U.S. technical capabilities under the CTBT; title: Potential technical advances from nuclear-explosion testing; title: Complete list of findings and recommendations.