Improving Warhead Authentication using Gamma Spectroscopy

Verifying international treaties, especially those related to nuclear disarmament, is a crucial and at the same time complex task. Historically, arms control and disarmament agreements have focused on the dismantlement of delivery vehicles, but future treaties might require attention to the warheads themselves. Verifying nuclear warheads or fissile material using non-destructive gamma spectroscopy allows for efficient and cost-effective inspections. Yet, a major challenge lies in balancing the need to gather enough data for trustworthy verification while preserving the confidentiality of sensitive information. Traditional approaches have tried to solve this by using a limited number of broad energy bins. However, these methods are susceptible to deception and often struggle to differentiate between similar items. This paper explores novel and potentially more secure approaches to determine an object’s gamma signature, aiming at both better resistance to cheating attempts and at reducing the amount of sensitive information. Approaches explored including new binning structures to classify gamma spectra as weapon or hoax objects.