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The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Technical Issues for the United States (2012) / Chapter Skim
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APPENDIX K Glossary of Key Terms from the 2010 CTBT NIE
Pages 203-204

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From page 203...
... Understanding Key Terms in This Estimate Nuclear test monitoring refers to the persistent global surveillance of underwater underground, atmospheric, and space environments for nuclear explosions. The scientific and monitoring communities do not use the terminology describing technical monitoring tasks consistently, making it necessary to take extra care when comparing findings between different organizations.
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From page 204...
... The amount of fusion yield produced in a boosted-fission device is a small fraction of the weapon's total yield, but the fusion "boosts" the fission yield. A thermonuclear device uses a fission or boosted-fission device as a "primary stage" that produces the energy required to implode a separate "secondary stage." The secondary stage uses both fusion and fission reactions to generate nuclear explosive yield.
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Key Terms

  • nuclear explosive
  • explosive yield
  • ctbt nie
  • nuclear test
  • weapon classes

  • fissile material
  • nuclear weapon
  • fission reactions
  • global surveillance
  • test monitoring

  • extra neutrons
  • persistent global
  • understanding key
  • minimum yield
  • create strong

  • underground nuclear
  • tritium gas
  • nuclear explosions
  • actor responsible
  • neutron bomb

  • coupled underground
  • nuclear fusion
  • ballistic missile
  • unique signatures
  • tasks consistently

  • explosive energy
  • reactions produce
  • monitoring refers
  • technical monitoring
  • fission device


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