Nuclear Detonation Detection

The Office of Nuclear Detonation Detection within the National Nuclear Security Administration, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development office, develops novel technologies within two broad topics; underground nuclear explosion monitoring technologies that improve the precise timing and integration of multiple sensing modalities and support largescale experimental campaigns that collect synchronized data from multiple locations; new technologies for radiation resistant microcircuits that improve current technology and develop materials and tools for radiation resistant applications. Applications are of interest in the following areas.

Areas of Interest

a. Integrated Data Acquisition System for Large-Scale Field Experiments: Data acquisition systems are a key component for any experiment [1,2]. They are the interface between researchers and the instrumentation deployed to record the experiment. In the case of large experiments, several distributed sensors may be operated independently, but the research team will want to ensure that they are all in good condition and record with accurate timing. This requires an integrated data acquisition system to coordinate the individual data acquisition systems for each sensor [3]. This coordination includes precise time synchronization, remote command and control, and data extraction and backup for a range of sensors, often deployed in challenging environments such as an underground tunnel complex.

The Office of Nuclear Detonation Detection is soliciting research in integrated data acquisition systems useful in underground nuclear explosion monitoring applications, in which dynamic seismoacoustic and electromagnetic energy is propagated. Of interest are systems that would lead to fieldable nodes in rugged environments with practical size, weight, and power requirements and data transmission rates. Example system characteristics may include but are not limited to modular design with rapid communication between nodes, large data storage capacity with fast I/O, timing synchronization through cabled GNSS antenna, ability to interface with variety of deployed data acquisition systems, system-wide state of health tracking, and external communication for remote command and control.

b. Fieldable Calibration Tool for Nuclear Explosion Monitoring: The Office of Nuclear Detonation Detection is soliciting research in in-field sensor calibration approaches useful in underground nuclear explosion monitoring applications in which dynamic seismoacoustic and electromagnetic energy is propagated. Of interest are methods that would lead to quantified mapping from deployed sensors to metrological quantities with practical size, weight, and power for use in outdoor environments.

The sensors of interest include seismometers, infrasound sensors (Nief et al., 2018), hydroacoustic sensors, and electromagnetic field sensors [4,5]. The primary standard calibration for these sensors is in a test laboratory during which as many factors as possible can be tightly controlled [6-9]. However, these calibrations cannot capture the full suite of factors that

influence the instrument response when a sensor is fully deployed. This has motivated methods of calibration in the field, but running in-field calibrations is an uncommon procedure [10,11]. Example device characteristics may include, but are not limited to, the ability to interface with sensor and datalogger calibration pulse in volts, an amplitude calibration sensitivity (e.g. V/m/s, V/Pa, etc…) to within +/-5% precision, and operational temperature range from 0 to 40 °C.

c. Detonation Detection Systems: In addition to the specific subtopics listed above, applications in other areas relevant to this topic are invited. These include seismometer improvements (e.g., reduced size, improved sensitivity, reduced power requirements), seismic array improvements, infrasound sensor improvements, hydroacoustic sensor improvements, or other ways to detect acoustic energy underground, on the surface, or in the atmosphere at regional to global distances (>200km) [12-14]. Improvements should substantially enhance capabilities when compared to existing sensors or techniques.

d. Radiation Resistant Plastic Encapsulated Microcircuits with Undiminished Performance, High-Yield, and Lower Cost: Long duration space-based missions would greatly benefit from the availability of inexpensive and rapidly developed radiation resistant microcircuits. Plastic Encapsulated Microcircuits (PEM) are of keen interest in this regard for the new generation of proliferated spacecraft constellations being generated by commercial entities and the military. Of particular interest is the potential for PEMs to augment space qualified parts which are rare, expensive, have extraordinary lead times and quickly become obsolete with time. Most government agencies and commercial entities involved in spacecraft development understand that the need for faster, cheaper, and more abundant electronic parts is never going to diminish. Related questions are: • Can PEMs meet the reliability requirements of space-based missions? • Can they be screened? • Do post-delivery tests and evaluations provide sufficient knowledge of the parts to satisfy mission requirements? • Can PEMs be expected to last 15 years in space environments? • What, if anything, can be done post-manufacturing to gain additional confidence in the suitability of PEMs parts for long term use in space?

PEMs capable of high radiation resistance, undiminished performance, rapid development, and low-cost are the ultimate objectives of this research. The Office of Nuclear Detonation Detection is soliciting research to develop radiation resistant microcircuit plastic encapsulation methods capable of meeting the following specifications: • Radiation survivability: up to 100krad total ionizing dose • Minimizing Bremsstrahlung Effects • Undiminished performance due to incident radiation • Functional production yields > 80% • Materials cost: 5-10 times lower than standard space qualified parts

A Phase I research effort could identify the candidate materials and their potentials and demonstrate pathways for meeting radiation resistance and cost performance goals.

References 1. Springer, Fundamentals to Applied Design: Data Acquisition Systems, M. D. Di Paolo, 2013, New York, NY, USA, available at https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1- 4614-4214-1.

2. Park, J., and Mackay, S., 2003, Practical data acquisition for instrumentation and control systems. Newnes. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vzrkldir0ukC&oi=fnd&pg=PR17&dq=Prac tical+data+acquisition+for+instrumentation+and+control+systems.&ots=jsBViOYhZV&sig =exKnzIQqybBM2CITXWjU3oJWOo8#v=onepage&q=Practical%20data%20acquisition %20for%20instrumentation%20and%20control%20systems.&f=false 3. Strickland, Christopher E., et al., Low Yield Nuclear Monitoring Physics Experiment 1 – Integrated Data Acquisition System Design and Initial Observations, Oct. 2024, available at https://doi.org/10.2172/2564221. 4. Wielandt, E., Seismic Sensors and Their Calibration, version August 2011, 2011, DOI: 10.2312/GFZ.NMSOP-2_ch5, available at https://gfzpublic.gfz.de/rest/items/item_56076/component/file_61055/content. 5. Nief, G., et al., 2018, New Generations of Infrasound Sensors: Technological Developments and Calibration. In Le Pichon, A., Blanc, E., Hauchecorne, A. (eds) Infrasound Monitoring for Atmospheric Studies, Springer, Cham. DOI: 10.1007/978-3- 319-75140-5_2 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75140-5_2 6. Larsonnier, F., et al., Comparison on Seismometer Sensitivity Following ISO 16063-11 Standard, 19th International Congress of Metrology, 27033, 2019, DOI: 10.1051/metrology/201927003, available at https://doi.org/10.1051/metrology/201927003. 7. Schiavi, A., et al., Dynamic Calibration System for Seismometers: Traceability from 0.03 Hz up to 30 Hz, Measurement: Sensors, 18, 2021, DOI: 10.1016/j.measen.2021.100255, available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measen.2021.100255. 8. Rodrigues, D., et al., A Laser Pistonphone Designed for Absolute Calibration of Infrasound Sensors from 10 mHz up to 20 Hz, Metrologia, 60(1), 2022, DOI: 10.1088/1681-7575/aca0fa, available at https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1681- 7575/aca0f3/meta. 9. Rust, M., et al., Primary Calibration for Airborne Infrasound Utilizing the Vertical Gradient of the Ambient Pressure, Metrologia, 60(4), 2023, DOI: 10.1088/1681-7575/acd941, available at https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1681-7575/acd941/meta. 10. Pavlis, G. L. and Vernon, F. L., 1994, Calibration of seismometers using ground noise, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 84 (4), 1243-1255, DOI: 10.1785/BSSA0840041243 https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/bssa/article/84/4/1243/119878/Calibration-ofseismometers-using-ground-noise 11. Kristoffersen, S. K., et al., On-site Infrasound Calibration to Correct Wave Parameter Estimation, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 155, 1780–1798, 2024, DOI: 10.1121/10.0025131, available at https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0025131. 12. Dannemann Dugick, F. K., et al., 2023, Introduction to the Special Section on Seismoacoustics and Seismoacoustic Data Fusion, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 113, 1383- 1389, DOI: 10.1785/0120230049 https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/bssa/articleabstract/113/4/1383/624450/Introduction-to-the-Special-Sectionon?redirectedFrom=fulltext (October 23, 2023) 13. Maceira, M., et al., 2017, Trends in Nuclear Explosion Monitoring Research & Development – A Physics Perspective, Technical Report No. LA-UR-17-21274. Los Alamos National Lab.(LANL), Los Alamos, NM United States, DOI: 10.2172/1355758 https://permalink.lanl.gov/object/tr?what=info:lanl-repo/lareport/LA-UR-17-21274 (October 23, 2023) 14. Kalinowski, M.B., et al., 2021, Introduction to the Topical issue of nuclear explosion monitoring and verification: scientific and technological advances, Pure and Applied

Geophysics 178, 2397-2401, DOI: 10.1007/s00024-021-02783-2 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00024-021-02783-2#citeas (October 23, 2023)

Topic 25 General References 1. Polymeric Composite Materials for Radiation Shielding, National Center for Biotechnology Information, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7857349/. 2. U.S. Department of Energy, Technical Report, https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1671997. 3. Requirements for Plastic Encapsulated Microcircuits in Space Applications, SAE International, AS6291/1; AS6294/1. 4. Requirements for Plastic Encapsulated Discrete Semiconductors in Space Applications, SAE International, AS6291/3, https://www.sae.org/standards/content/as6294/3/. 5. General Specification for Integrated Circuits (Microcircuits) Manufacturing, U.S. Department of Defense, MIL-PRF-38535 Rev. K, http://everyspec.com/MIL-PRF/MIL- PRF-030000-79999/MIL-PRF-38535K_48842/. 6. 2013 NEPP ETW Briefing on Introduction of Class Y, NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging Program, https://nepp.nasa.gov/workshops/etw2013/talks/Tue_June11_2013/1300_Agarwal_Clas s%20Y%20Status%20Overview.pdf.

An overview of basic radiation effects on polymers.

PEM Standards: requirements for Plastic Encapsulated Microcircuits in Space Applications. This document establishes common industry practices and recommended screening, qualification, and lot acceptance testing of Plastic Encapsulated Microcircuits (PEMs) for use in space application environments.

Requirements for Plastic Encapsulated Discrete Semiconductors in Space Applications. This document establishes the requirements for screening, qualification, and lot acceptance testing of Plastic Encapsulated Discrete Semiconductors (PEDS) for use in space application environments. The scope of this document is intended for standard silicon based technology only, but the process and methodology described within can be adopted for other technologies such as Silicon Carbide, Gallium Nitride, and Gallium Arsenide. However, when no