Ultrasensitive Measurements Detect Nuclear Explosions

Imagine being able to detect the faintest of radionuclide signals from hundreds of miles away.

That’s the capability created by scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who have contributed much of the nuclear science that underlies an international monitoring system designed to detect nuclear explosions worldwide. The system constantly collects and analyzes air samples for signals that would indicate a nuclear explosion, perhaps conducted secretly underground.

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