FRS 002U —
Sec. 001 —
(2 units) — CRN 45516 — R 3:10 – 5:00 pm —
Walker Annex
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.