Nuclear Weapon Tests: Prohibition or Limitation? (SIPRI Monograph Series)

For three decades there has been an effort to restrict nuclear explosions and tests--the most visible manifestations of the arms race. While some see testing as essential for the development of nuclear weapons and deterrence postures, others are concerned about the possible health hazards and believe that test bans are an indispensable step in halting the buildup of nuclear weaponry. This volume, part of a joint study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and the Canadian Institute for International Peace, examines the complex technical and political issues involved in a possible cessation or limitation of nuclear tests. Containing papers by leading physicists, nuclear weapon designers, seismologists, international lawyers, strategic analysts, political scientists, and former government advisors and negotiators, the book offers a wide range of authoritative expertise and opinion about the feasibility of achieving a meaningful test limitation.