French scientists seem to have an idea for locating secret nuclear reactors, which involves loading a supertanker ship with 138,000 tons worth of protons, and sinking it off the coast of any troublemaker nation, like, say, North Korea.
https://gizmodo.com/could-stuxnet-infect-north-korea-s-new-uranium-plant-5697147
The science behind their idea is nothing new. Antineutrino detection as a form of far-field nuclear reactor monitoring is something that’s been discussed for a few years now, a since nuclear fission reactors emit plenty of antineutrinos. But this idea has yet to blossom into a practical, functioning solution.
What the Frenchies are suggesting, according to Technology Review, is that it’s possible to take a giant ship and load it with 138,000 tons of linearalkylbenzene, which would yield 10^34 antineutrino-detecting protons. And submerging this ship under 4 km of water off the coast of any evil, freedom-hating, possibly satanic nation is not just for cloak and dagger effect—it’s necessary for the anti-neutrino detection process. Not only would such a rig sniff out nuclear reactors across long distances, but it could offer a general idea of where they’re located at.
The only problem? Well there are many, but besides the potential cost of the entire idea, getting the ship off the coast of a hostile nation undetected could be a bit tricky. Still, It’d be entertaining to see a country with enough guile to try and pull this off. [Technology Review]
