長崎大学 核兵器廃絶研究センター（RECNA）

It is published simultaneously by RECNA-Nagasaki University, Asia Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (APLN), and Nautilus Institute and is published under a 4.0 International Creative Commons License the terms of which are found here.

The Impact of a Regional Nuclear Conflict between India and Pakistan: Two Views
G. D. Hess
 
A Working Paper presented to
The 75th Anniversary Nagasaki Nuclear-Pandemic Nexus Scenario Project

G. D. Hess was born in the United States where he studied atmospheric science. He came to Australia in 1970 and has worked in the area of Boundary-Layer Meteorology, which covers the physical, chemical and biological processes occurring in the lowest few kilometres of the Earth’s atmosphere. He retired from the Bureau of Meteorology 15 years ago. He is a former University Fellow at the University of Melbourne.

The severity of climatic effects of a regional nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan, involving the use of a hundred Hiroshima-scale nuclear weapons, is contested between two groups; Mills, et al. (2014) conclude that a global Nuclear Winter would occur; Reisner, et al., (2018) conclude that No Nuclear Winter would occur. This paper discusses the different assumptions that lead to the two different conclusions. Specifically, it highlights the use of different fuel loading and different input methods for the amount and initial location of black carbon (BC) into the climate models, and discusses some underlying reasons for these different choices, including the question of what kind of fire will occur in the aftermath of a nuclear weapon being dropped on a densely populated city. The paper also briefly discusses some physical phenomena that have not been considered by either group and lays out some questions for research before any definitive conclusion about the climatic effects of a limited nuclear war can be reached.

Keywords
Nuclear Winter, model uncertainty, soot-generation, firestorm

Full text (PDF) is here.
 

REC-PP-10

Nuclear Weapons in the Taiwan Strait (July 2020)

Gregory Kulacki

During the Taiwan Strait Crisis, which began in the fall of 1954 and ended in the fall of 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower prepared to attack the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with nuclear weapons to protect the government of Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. US officials involved in the crisis believed credible US threats to use nuclear weapons deterred escalation, and those beliefs played a formative role in the evolution of US nuclear weapons policies that call for the first use of tactical nuclear weapons in a military crisis when victory using conventional weapons is not assured. This examination of the crisis, which includes consideration of documentation from PRC and Soviet archives, calls that belief into question.

★ Full text of REC-PP-10 (PDF) is here.
★ List of RECNA Policy Papers is here.
 

Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament publishes a special collection of interviews with Frank von Hippel, a renowned physicist who has devoted his life to the quest for a world without nuclear weapons.

For 50 years, Dr. von Hippel has been working as a citizen-scientist to reduce the grave dangers to humankind from nuclear-weapon and nuclear-energy programs around the world. In this special collection of edited, illustrated and footnoted interviews, von Hippel describes in vivid personal detail the many policy battles he has taken on, the state of nuclear dangers today, and his hopes for a path forward.

For the collection, see here.
 

Vol.3, Issue 1 of Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament (J-PAND) is now available online. There are 17 open access articles.

For the issue, see here.

In the issue, RECNA director Fumihiko Yoshida published an article on a workshop jointly held by Sejong Institute (ROK) and RECNA in June 2019. The article is a summary of policy proposal released as an outcome document of the workshop.

Yoshida, Fumihiko. 2020. “From Peace on Korean Peninsula to North East Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone.” Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament 3(1): 123-128. [Full Article]
 

2020 Posters of “The World’s Nuclear Warheads Count” and “The World’s Fissile Material Inventory” were released. Please click on the thumbnail images below and download the pdf posters.
 

The World’s Nuclear Warheads Count

	Japanese	English	Korean
Jun. 2020

>> Posters before 2020 can be downloaded from here.

The World’s Fissile Material Inventory

	Japanese	English	Korean
Jun. 2020

>> Posters before 2020 can be downloaded from here.
 

Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Nagasaki University (RECNA) issued “Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapon (NPT) at its 50th year juncture: thoughts on the postponement of the NPT Review Conference” on April 3, 2020.

>> for details

>> RECNA’s EYE

Postponed online event “All humans could be next Hibakushas. All humans could make others be Hibakushas” organized by Nagasaki Youth Delegation 2020 will be held on May 24th.

Even after 75 years from atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we still have about 14,000 nuclear warheads on the world and younger generation from Nagasaki now try to raise fundamental question about our responsibility for nuclear weapons. This presentation was originally scheduled to be presented as a side event at the 2020 NPT Review Conference in NewYork. But because of the pandemic caused by new corona-virus (COVID-19), we decided to present it online with some adjustments.

We expect you to get a strong message from members of Nagasaki Youth Delegation; i.e. “nuclear weapon is your problem“.

What is Nagasaki Youth Delegation?
“Nagasaki Youth Delegation” is a human resource development project since 2013, sponsored by PCU Nagasaki Council for Nuclear Weapons Abolition composed of Nagasaki Prefecture, Nagasaki City and Nagasaki University.

Contact: nagasaki.youth8th@gmail.com
 

The presentation “All humans could be next Hibakushas. All humans could make others be Hibakushas” by Nagasaki Youth Delegation 8th scheduled for May 17th has been postponed due to the problem with video conferencing tool Zoom.

Another date and time will be announced later. We apologize for this sudden postponement and keeping you waiting.

Contact: pcu_nc@ml.nagasaki-u.ac.jp
 

Nagasaki Youth Delegation will present “All humans could be next Hibakushas. All humans could make others be Hibakushas” to send a message for nuclear weapons abolition from Nagasaki.

Even after 75 years from atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we still have about 14,000 nuclear warheads on the world and younger generation from Nagasaki now try to raise fundamental question about our responsibility for nuclear weapons. This presentation was originally scheduled to be presented as a side event at the 2020 NPT Review Conference in NewYork. But because of the pandemic caused by new corona-virus (COVID-19), we decided to present it online with some adjustments.

We expect you to get a strong message from members of Nagasaki Youth Delegation; i.e. “nuclear weapon is your problem“.

What is Nagasaki Youth Delegation?
“Nagasaki Youth Delegation” is a human resource development project since 2013, sponsored by PCU Nagasaki Council for Nuclear Weapons Abolition composed of Nagasaki Prefecture, Nagasaki City and Nagasaki University.

Contact: nagasaki.youth8th@gmail.com
 

RECNA Newsletter Vol.8 No.2 (March 31, 2020)

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Nagasaki special citizens’ seminar: Commemorating the publication of the Japanese-language version of Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War by Susan Southard — Keiko Nakamura Pope Francis’s visit to the atomic bombing site — Chie Shijo Nagasaki special citizens’ seminar: US Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Asia: Past Present and Future — Tatsujiro Suzuki Promulgation of Japan-ROK proposal for a Northeast Asia Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone (NEA-NWFZ) (Japanese, English) — Fumihiko Yoshida RECNA Holds “Nagasaki Atomic Bombing and Postwar History Research Society” Symposium — Taeko Kiriya Does the Chair’s Report of the Group of Eminent Persons Build Bridges to Nuclear Disarmament? — Masao Tomonaga Nagasaki Youth Delegation Activities up to now — Nagasaki Youth Delegation >>for details