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Neutrinos interact so weakly with other matter that billions of them pass through our bodies every second without leaving a trace.

They are the most mysterious of the known particles in the universe and could help unravel huge mysteries, such as why the cosmos is made of matter.

But these elusive particles may also help scientists solve puzzles closer to home - including where exactly nuclear weapons are being made.

Pictured is a view of elusive subatomic neutrino tracks.  Neutrinos interact so weakly with that billions of them pass through our bodies every second. Scientists believe they could help detect nuclear bombs

Scientists at the College of Science at Virginia Tech are investigating just how accurate neutrinos are when detecting nuclear activity.

It follows previous studies, such as a project by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory, that created prototype neutrino detectors to sniff out nuclear weapons.

Neutrinos are produced by the decay of radioactive elements, and nuclear reactors produce large amounts of neutrinos that cannot be shielded or disguised.

Measuring neutrino emissions allows scientists to know the plutonium content of a reactor from outside the building, according to the researchers.

Measuring neutrinos allows scientists to know the plutonium content of a reactor from outside the building

'By making moderate improvements in existing neutrino-detector technology, we can fit a detector system into a standard 20ft (7 metre) shipping container to monitor the Iranian heavy water reactor at Arak as part of a non-proliferation measure,' said Patrick Huber, an associate professor of physics at Virgin Tech.

'Neutrino monitoring is non-intrusive and doesn't rely on a continuous history of reactor operations.'

Currently remote monitoring instruments need connect to a nuclear reactor's plumbing - to keep track of the amount of coolant used.

But this equipment is unwieldy, expensive. However, fission reactions also release a by-product: antineutrinos

Monitoring antineutrinos - subatomic particles akin to the neutrino, except they spin in a different direction- could help distinguish varying levels of fuel enrichment. 

Antineutrino detectors can provide the agency with high-level monitoring not currently offered by any other technique, the researchers say