
Storied Jason science advisory group loses contract with Pentagon - mzs
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/04/storied-jason-science-advisory-group-loses-contract-pentagon
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mzs
>One seminal JASON study examined the lifetime of plutonium "pits" \- the
fissile material cores of nuclear weapons. The US stopped making pits in 1989
when the FBI & EPA shut down the production plant for rampant environmental
damage. JASON was asked to assess how long pits last.

>JASON concluded that, with reasoned stewardship, pits would last at least
85-100 years & perhaps longer. This was far longer than previous estimates of
40-60 years. It significantly increased confidence in the US nuclear
stockpile.
[https://fas.org/irp/agency/dod/jason/pit.pdf](https://fas.org/irp/agency/dod/jason/pit.pdf)
…

>But that study was done back in 2006. Now the Department of Energy is seeking
to start making more pits again, arguing that it must begin now because it
will take decades to replace all the current pits at the planned production
rate of 80 per year.

>But remember that "at least 85-100 years" above? Congress has sensibly asked
JASON to look at the issue again, 13 years later. Scientific techniques that
artificially age plutonium provide even more data. However, I'm told that DOE
is dragging their feet on finalizing the study. … >For more on JASON - which
intentionally is a somewhat mysterious organization \- see this excellent book
by @AnnFinkbeiner, who relays the full history of the group:

[https://twitter.com/StephenUCS/status/1115925589918089217](https://twitter.com/StephenUCS/status/1115925589918089217)

