Summary of Activities and Accomplishments Final Report; A Proposal to Develop a Method for the Detection of HE Employing Chemiluminescence Reactions: LA-8596-PR, NUREG/CR-1794, Vol. IV

vi, 51, [1] pages. Tables. Figures. Appendices A, B, and C contains papers published during the course of this investigation. Appendix D contains information on supporting technical reviews of this work. Cover has some wear and soiling. Pencil notation on front cover. Mailing label removed from front cover. Stamp on back cover. This report was prepared for the Division of Safeguards, Fuel Cycle, and Environmental Research, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This is the final and fourth quarter report for the study of high explosive (HE) detection by coupling the chemistry of HE with that of Luminol reaction, a well-known chemiluminescence (CL) reaction. The motivation for the study was centered on thwarting terrorist activity aimed at nuclear power reactors where the use of HE was anticipated. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recognized the potential for high explosives use by saboteurs, and 10 CFR Part 73.55 addresses this problem. The threat assessment at the time posited an increase in the level of terrorist activity in the United States during the 1980s was highly probable, and prominent among the probable targets were nuclear facilities. The use of high explosives was considered a likely choice. The effect of destructive use of explosives in nuclear facilities was potentially substantial. It was considered that high explosives use by saboteurs could negate the single-failure design feature and cause significant complexity for the design of security systems to prevent sabotage. The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory was engaged to perform a detailed feasibility study of the detection of high explosives using an innovative technique in the application of chemiluminescence. The LASL study addressed developing the required technology for detection instrumentation.…