• DOI:10.1080/08929880903368690
• Corpus ID: 219716695

Explosive Properties of Reactor-Grade Plutonium

@article{Mark2009ExplosivePO,
  title={Explosive Properties of Reactor-Grade Plutonium},
  author={Joseph C. Mark and Frank von Hippel and Edwin Lyman},
  journal={Science \& Global Security},
  year={2009},
  volume={17},
  pages={170 - 185}
}

• J. C. Mark, F. von Hippel, E. Lyman
• Published 30 October 2009
• Political Science
• Science & Global Security

The following discussion focuses on the question of whether a terrorist organization or a threshold state could make use of plutonium recovered from light-water-reactor fuel to construct a nuclear explosive device having a significantly damaging yield. Questions persist in some nonproliferation policy circles as to whether a bomb could be made from reactor-grade plutonium of high burn-up, and if so, whether the task would be too difficult for a threshold state or terrorist group to consider. Although the information relevant to these questions is in the public domain, and has been for a considerable time, it is assembled here for use by policy makers and members of the public who are concerned about preventing the spread of nuclear explosives.