Introduction of safeguards of nuclear materials

The safeguard for nuclear materials has become important in the progress of nuclear power generation and the industrialization of nuclear fuel cycle accompanying it, in parallel with safety and environmental problems and also relating to NPT (Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty), though the fact that the safeguard for nuclear materials constitutes the fundamental structure for nuclear developments is often overlooked. Internationally, there exist the safeguards of IAEA and Euratom. On the safeguard of IAEA, the major points of the model agreement ''IAEA: INFCIRC/153 (1971)'' are described in comparison with the present system. In U.S., though nuclear material balance has been emphasized, the physical protection of nuclear materials is going to be recently tightened due to the menace of terrorists. Next, the present status of that in Japan is introduced, and the actual example of inspection by IAEA is reported. It will be necessary to arrange the rational system for nuclear material control in Japan as a whole. Finally, as for the related technical development, scope of the technology to be the object, the stipulation of the technological system of safeguard, the technics related to measurement control and nuclear material containment are described. (Wakatsuki, Y.)