Cluster for Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research (CNTR)
The Cluster for Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research (CNTR) researches militarily relevant new technologies and developments in the natural sciences from an interdisciplinary perspective. Military innovations, digital warfare and disinformation influence the balance of power and create uncertainty. In order to provide impetus for arms control at the international level, it is important not only to identify emerging problems at an early stage, but also to have the technical competence to address these problems. The CNTR team of researchers from different disciplines investigates impacts on international security, classifies them in a scientifically sound manner and, on this basis, develops recommendations for action to strengthen arms control.
At the same time, CNTR combines basic research and knowledge transfer in line with the motto of the Leibniz Association “Theoria cum praxi”. In addition to disseminating research results via publications and various other formats, PRIF is therefore developing a “CNTR Monitor: Technology and Arms Control” together with the universities of Darmstadt and Giessen, which will provide annual information on new developments in arms control research starting in 2024.
The project is funded by the German Foreign Office for a period of four years (January 2023 to December 2026) and consists of three research groups:
1. Emerging Disruptive Technologies (Heads: Prof. Dr Dr Christian Reuter and Dr Niklas Schörnig)
The Emerging Disruptive Technologies research group firstly examines the dangers posed by the military use of new technological developments from a security policy, ethical and legal perspective. Second, it asks how verification measures need to be tailored to enable effective arms control of modern military technologies in the first place. Third, it examines how new technologies can contribute to the development of more reliable instruments for arms control and verification. The group focusses on the future and primarily looks at technologies that are considered as emerging disruptive technologies – that is, technologies which are capable of overturning previous power structures and might allow weaker challengers to overtake the militaries of previously stronger players using innovations. These technologies include hypersonic missiles, military robotics, remotely piloted as well as autonomous and semi-autonomous weapon systems, nanotechnology, various forms of human enhancement, cyber operations, militarily used Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, or even the military use of quantum computers.
More information on the research group Emerging Disruptive Technologies
2. Chemical and Biological Weapons Arms Control (Heads: Dr Una Jakob and Prof. Dr Peter R. Schreiner, PhD)
The use of chemical weapons in Syria, the attacks with nerve agents and the Russian disinformation campaign on alleged bio- and chemical weapons activities in Ukraine have once again brought these weapons to the fore as threats to peace and security. Moreover, the pandemic experience of recent years has shown the impact that even unintentional global disease outbreaks can have. It is therefore crucial to address the entire spectrum of chemical and biological hazards as part of a comprehensive peace and security policy. Particularly in conjunction with other new technologies, such as artificial intelligence or information technology, scientific and technological developments in biology and chemistry could, on the one hand, change military calculations about the usefulness of biological and chemical weapons and, on the other, open up new opportunities for strengthening international bans on both categories of weapons. In view of the close interconnection of political and technological aspects, CNTR’s research in this area is conducted on an interdisciplinary basis with strong participation of scientific expertise and in cooperation with the Department of Biology and Chemistry at the Justus Liebig University of Giessen.
More information on the research group “Chemical and Biological Weapons Control”
3. Science for Nuclear Diplomacy (Head: Prof. Dr Malte Göttsche)
The Science for Nuclear Diplomacy Group conducts research in experimental physics and computational nuclear engineering to support the nonproliferation, arms control, and disarmament of nuclear weapons. It is co-located at TU Darmstadt and PRIF. We focus on the development of novel verification techniques to assess compliance with corresponding treaties. Furthermore, proliferation potentials of new nuclear technologies are assessed. Lastly, the group explores avenues towards reductions in nuclear weapon arsenals and weapons-usable fissile materials.
More information on the research group “Science for Nuclear Diplomacy”
The natural and technical science research is complemented by the research area “Arms Control Law” (Prof. Dr Thilo Marauhn).
CNTR has its own website: www.cntrarmscontrol.org CNTR is on Twitter, Mastodon and Bluesky.
- Segmentierung des Cyberspace? Chinas und Russlands Decoupling-Bestrebungen und ihre Konsequenzen | 2024
Reinhold, Thomas (2024): Segmentierung des Cyberspace? Chinas und Russlands Decoupling-Bestrebungen und ihre Konsequenzen, PRIF Spotlight 3/2024, Frankfurt/M, DOI: 10.48809/prifspot2403.
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- Additive Manufacturing – Application and Use in Defence Technology | 2024
Suckau, Liska (2024): Additive Manufacturing – Application and Use in Defence Technology, CNTR Fact Sheets, 29.4.2024.
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- Modeling gamma detectors in OpenMC: Validation of a newly implemented pulse-height tally | 2024
Fichtlscherer, Christopher / Miah, Milon / Frieß, Friederike / Göttsche, Malte / Kütt, Moritz (2024): Modeling gamma detectors in OpenMC: Validation of a newly implemented pulse-height tally, in: Progress in Nuclear Energy, 172, Online first, DOI: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2024.105186.
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- Nuclear archaeology to assess fissile-material inventories for nuclear safety and security, transparency, and disarmament | 2024
Göttsche, Malte (2024): Nuclear archaeology to assess fissile-material inventories for nuclear safety and security, transparency, and disarmament, in: The Nonproliferation Review, 1–20, DOI: 10.1080/10736700.2024.2314371.
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- Quantentechnologie und ihre Sicherheitsrelevanz | 2024
Bühring, Lena / Gräfe, Markus (2024): Quantentechnologie und ihre Sicherheitsrelevanz, CNTR Fact Sheets, 29.2.2024.
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- Towards inferring reactor operations from high-level waste | 2024
Jung, Benjamin / Figueroa, Antonio / Göttsche, Malte (2024): Towards inferring reactor operations from high-level waste, in: Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 1–7, DOI: 10.1016/j.net.2024.02.031.
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- Bicyclus: A statistical fuel cycle simulation framework for nuclear verification | 2024
Schalz, Max / Bormann, Lewis / Göttsche, Malte (2024): Bicyclus: A statistical fuel cycle simulation framework for nuclear verification, in: Annals of Nuclear Energy, 196, DOI: 10.1016/j.anucene.2023.110221.
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- Verbesserte Glaubwürdigkeit: Zur Bedeutung der F-35A für die nukleare Teilhabe | 2023
Kuhn, Frank (2023): Verbesserte Glaubwürdigkeit: Zur Bedeutung der F-35A für die nukleare Teilhabe, PRIF Spotlight 12/2023, Frankfurt/M, DOI: 10.48809/prifspot2312.
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- B-Waffen-Übereinkommen: Neunte Überprüfungskonferenz 2022 | 2023
Jakob, Una (2023): B-Waffen-Übereinkommen: Neunte Überprüfungskonferenz 2022, in: Vereinte Nationen, 6/2023, 276, https://zeitschrift-vereinte-nationen.de/(...).
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- Making Nuclear Sharing Credible Again: What the F-35A Means for NATO | 2023
Kuhn, Frank (2023): Making Nuclear Sharing Credible Again: What the F-35A Means for NATO, War on the Rocks, 14.9.2023.
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- Antineutrino detection concepts for safeguarding spent nuclear fuel | 2023
Schnellbach, Yan-Jie / Radermacher, Thomas / Niemeyer, Irmgard / Roth, Stefan / Göttsche, Malte (2023): Antineutrino detection concepts for safeguarding spent nuclear fuel, in: Safety of Nuclear Waste Disposal, 2, DOI: 10.5194/sand-2-203-2023.
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- Liquid-organic time projection chamber for detecting low energy antineutrinos | 2023
Radermacher, Thomas / Johannes, Bosse / Friedrich, Sarah / Göttsche, Malte / Roth, Stefan / Schwefer, Georg (2023): Liquid-organic time projection chamber for detecting low energy antineutrinos, in: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 1054, DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2023.168426.
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- Das Raketenabwehrsystem Arrow 3: Eine fragliche Beschaffung | 2023
Kuhn, Frank (2023): Das Raketenabwehrsystem Arrow 3: Eine fragliche Beschaffung, PRIF Blog, 25.8.2023.
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- Kampfflugzeuge für die Ukraine und das Risiko der Eskalation: Ein Realitätscheck | 2023
Kuhn, Frank (2023): Kampfflugzeuge für die Ukraine und das Risiko der Eskalation: Ein Realitätscheck, PRIF Blog, 7.3.2023.
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- Between Destabilization and Enabling Resilience: Perspectives from the Technical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Law | 2022
Reuter, Christian / Göttsche, Malte / Frieß, Friederike / Thielbörger, Pierre / Vüllers, Johannes (2022): Between Destabilization and Enabling Resilience: Perspectives from the Technical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Law, in: Die Friedens-Warte, 95, 244–246.
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- Between Destabilization and Enabling Resilience: Perspectives from the Technical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Law | 2022
Reuter, Christian / Göttsche, Malte / Frieß, Friederike / Thielbörger, Pierre / Vüllers, Johannes (2022): Between Destabilization and Enabling Resilience: Perspectives from the Technical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Law, in: Die Friedens-Warte, 95(3–4), 244–246.
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- Konferenzbericht: SCIENCE · PEACE · SECURITY ’21 | 2022
Göttsche, Malte (2022): Konferenzbericht: SCIENCE · PEACE · SECURITY ’21, in: Die Friedens-Warte, 95, 217–223.
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- Nichtverbreitung, Abrüstung & Rüstungskontrolle | 2022
Nötzold, Antje / Göttsche, Malte / Heinrich, Jens / Jeremias, Gunnar (eds), (2022): Nichtverbreitung, Abrüstung & Rüstungskontrolle, Baden-Baden: Nomos.
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- Assessing Uncertainty in Plutonium Production Estimates Based on the Isotope Ratio Method | 2022
Jung, Benjamin / Göttsche, Malte (2022): Assessing Uncertainty in Plutonium Production Estimates Based on the Isotope Ratio Method, in: Science & Global Security, 30:1, 3–21, DOI: 10.1080/08929882.2022.2060599.
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- Conference Proceedings Science, Peace, Security '21 : The Impact of new Technologies: Destabilizing or Enabling Resilience? | 2022
Göttsche, Malte (ed.), (2022): Conference Proceedings Science, Peace, Security '21 : The Impact of new Technologies: Destabilizing or Enabling Resilience?, Aachen: RWTH Publications, https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/(...).
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- Toward Nuclear Disarmament: Building Up Transparency and Verification | 2021
Göttsche, Malte / Glaser, Alexander (eds), (2021): Toward Nuclear Disarmament: Building Up Transparency and Verification, Berlin: German Foreign Office, https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/(...).
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- Science peace security ‘19: Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary Conference on Technical Peace and Security Research | 2019
Reuter, Christian / Altmann, Jürgen / Göttsche, Malte / Himmel, Mirko (eds), (2019): Science peace security ‘19: Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary Conference on Technical Peace and Security Research, Darmstadt: tuprints, DOI: 10.25534/tuprints-00009164.
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- Verifying Nuclear Disarmament | 2019
Göttsche, Malte (2019): Verifying Nuclear Disarmament, in: Wissenschaft & Frieden Dossier, 88.
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