The U.S. Air Force will partner with the University of Texas at Austin to research and develop methods that can speed up investigations into nuclear explosions.The Air Force Technical Applications Center, an organization in charge of nuclear treaty monitoring, was selected by the Department of Homeland Security to work with two UTA graduate students on nuclear forensics research, the Air Force said Wednesday.
“Nuclear forensics is a keystone of AFTAC’s responsibility of assisting the U.S. government in its commitment to hold perpetrators accountable, and also counters the smuggling of nuclear material by helping to identify those responsible,” said Bill Johnson, a senior scientist at AFTAC’s Ciambrone Radiochemistry Lab.
Johnson added that the research effort will boost AFTAC’s analytical capacity and provide students with hands-on experience in a radiochemistry laboratory.
The Ciambrone Radiochemistry Lab supports efforts to identify radiologic or nuclear debris under AFTAC’s Nuclear Debris Collection and Analysis Program and helps evaluate signatory compliance with nuclear weapons testing treaties.
