ABSTRACT
Attribution is the end product of nuclear forensic analysis (NFA)—the integration of all relevant technical, analytical, and other (e.g., human intelligence) information about an incident into aconsistent and insightful interpretation, leading to the identi–cationand apprehension of the perpetrators [1-4]. Nuclear attribution integrates all relevant forms of evidence and information about anuclear smuggling or illicit traf–cking incident to produce a report that can be readily analyzed and interpreted and that will form the basis of acon–dent and meaningful response to the incident. Nuclear attribution uses inputs from many sources, including results from forensic sample analyses; an understanding of radiochemical, geochemical, and environmentalsignatures; knowledge of the methods of Special Nuclear Material (SNM) production and nuclear weapons development pathways; and information from intelligence sources and law enforcement agencies. The objective of attribution assessmentis to satisfy policy makers’ information needs, requirements, and questions within the framework of any given incident.
