Science-Based Stockpile Stewardship and the Evolving U.S. Nuclear Deterrent

Abstract:  The United States has not conducted an explosive nuclear test since 1992, yet confidence in its nuclear deterrent has been maintained through the science-based Stockpile Stewardship Program. Over the past three decades, this effort has driven major advances in high energy density science, materials science, experiments, simulation, and high-performance computing, while supporting a much smaller arsenal than at the height of the Cold War. Although stewardship has been remarkably successful, a more demanding security environment is changing what is required to sustain deterrence. The mission is moving beyond preservation of an aging stockpile to include modernization and the technical foundations needed for future deterrent capabilities. That shift is creating new scientific demands in assessment, certification, manufacturing, and predictive understanding. This colloquium will highlight some of the major scientific achievements of the stewardship era and consider how the enterprise is adapting to a changing environment.