Abstract
The following is a simplified description of the basic conditions and procedures for acquiring nuclear weapons or, according to the internationally established term, for the acquisition of military nuclear capacity. Practically, this is the acquisition or possession of the nuclear material required for the construction of a nuclear weapon as mentioned above.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
A simplified description of radioactivity and its effects on human life:
Radioactivity is emitted in the form of radiation and particles from certain unstable elements in the nature during the process of their decay.
-
Radioactivity can also be the product of human activity, through scientific intervention, for the fission of the nuclei of certain elements.
-
Alpha radiation stops by the skin and by paper. It becomes dangerous when its source has entered the human body.
-
Beta radiation penetrates the skin. It can harm the skin and the eyes.
-
Gamma radiation can penetrate the body. It can harm all human organs.
-
Particles "n", neutrons, are highly penetrating. They also harm all organs of the human organism.
If the water molecules, of which the human body mainly consists, are exposed to radioactivity, their chemical bonds may be broken. The result will be damage or death of the cells containing the affected molecules.
The dead cells, if they are not too many, can be replaced by the human organism. Otherwise, the organ with the dead cells is dead or destroyed or, in the worst case, the person will pass away. If the organism survives, it will attempt to repair its corrupted cells, using as its model its own DNA. A cell repair can be executed correctly or incorrectly by the repairing mechanisms of the cell. If it's done incorrectly, the cell may survive, but it will have changed its biological program. This is called “mutation", which may be the beginning of cancer. If mutations have occurred in genetic cells, so called "genes", their features could most probably be inherited by the generations to come. There will be, in other words, "genetic effects" of radioactivity.
The effects of mutations can be observed for many years after exposure of cells to radioactivity. The higher the dose of radioactivity received by an organism, the greater the likelihood of hereditary genetic effects. The radioactive products of an uncontrolled nuclear fission, which may be the result of a nuclear weapon explosion, or a Nuclear Safety related accident or a Nuclear Security related terrorist incident, could be scattered within a radius of several kilometers from the explosion. Ignoring geographic boundaries, they may even be transported over very long distances through atmospheric phenomena, contaminating radioactively the environment for great periods of time. By penetrating the food chain, radioactivity could then multiply the tragic consequences of genetic effects.
Radioactivity is usually measured in Becquerels. A Becquerel is the radioactivity from the amount of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second.
- 2.
Definition of Nuclear Safety according to the ΙΑΕΑ-Safety Glossary 2017:
“The achievement of proper operating conditions, prevention of accidents or mitigation of accident consequences, resulting in protection of workers, the public and the environment from undue radiation hazards”.
- 3.
The IAEA Division for Nuclear Security (NSNS) defines Nuclear Security as: “Prevention, detection of and response to theft, unauthorized access, illegal international trafficking or other unlawful acts involving nuclear materials, other radioactive substances or related facilities and means of transport”.
Reference
USA-NSS. (Feb 6, 2015). 2015 National Security Strategy.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ikonomou, P.F. (2020). Capability, Threat, Response. In: Global Nuclear Developments. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46997-9_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46997-9_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-46996-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-46997-9
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)