Progress and prospects of the IAEA development programme of instruments and equipment for use in safeguarding of nuclear material

A comprehensive review of safeguards techniques and their development in the Agency's 1976 to 1980 program was presented at the International Symposium on the Safeguarding of Nuclear Material in Vienna in October 1975. Progress achieved since that time in the development of more compact portable equipment for nuclear material assay measurements and surveillance equipment is presented. Results of some recent field experiments are described. The paper concentrates on some current technical problem areas for IAEA safeguards in devising instruments, methods and techniques to deal with particular measurement difficulties. 7 figures