FRS 002L - Sec. 001 - (2 units) - CRN 93015 - R 4:10 – 6:00 pm - Room TBA
How Serious is the Threat of Nuclear Terrorism?

Instructor: Daniel Cebra, Department of Physics, College of Letters and Science

Description: This class will explore the possibilities of terrorist attacks heightened by the use of either the dispersion of radiological material or the detonation of a nuclear bomb. We will overview the fundamentals of nuclear science necessary to understand the procurement and preparation of nuclides, the operation of a nuclear reactor, and the basics of thermonuclear devices. We will explore the capabilities of other nations or groups to execute nuclear attacks and the vulnerabilities of US facilities to such attacks. We will consider the impact that such an attack could have, including the direct effect, collateral damage, long-term radiological danger, economic effects, the psychological impact, and the political effect. We will examine the various counter-measures and defenses that are being employed to thwart, deflect, or mitigate the effect of such attacks. Finally, we will perform a risk-assessment analysis to weigh the relative dangers of various possible attacks considering the costs of executing an attack, the probability of a successful attack, the potential for damage, and the effectiveness of countermeasures.

Format: The class will be taught in a meeting style. The students will assume the roles of experts who have been convened to prepare a risk-assessment report on various threat scenarios. The instructor will provide an opening introduction to each class. The students will then present a series of detailed analyses. Each class will conclude with a general summarizing discussion. The term will be divided into three blocks, each addressing a general class of threat scenario ('dirty bomb' attack on a city, an attack on a nuclear reactor, and a ballistic missile attack). Each block will be covered in three classes, the first providing an overview on the scientific and technical issues and addressing various threat scenarios, the second considering the effects of such an event, and the third considering the countermeasures. A visit to a nuclear reactor will be arranged. There is no text for the class. During the course of the quarter, the students will be required to make three presentations and prepare three reports. Active participation is required at each meeting of the class. Grading: Students will be graded on the quality of their participation in discussions (1/3), on the quality of their oral presentations (1/3), and on the quality of their written reports (1/3).

About the Instructor: Daniel Cebra is an associate professor who specializes in nuclear physics. He received his Ph.D. degree from Michigan State University and was a post-doc at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory before coming to U.C. Davis in 1992. His current research interests focus on the understanding the hot, dense nuclear matter that is created during collisions of relativistic heavy-ions.