Explosives (and other threats) detection using pulsed neutron interrogation and optimized detectors

Dan A. Strellis; Mashal Elsalim; Tsahi Gozani

doi:10.1117/12.884421

23 May 2011 Explosives (and other threats) detection using pulsed neutron interrogation and optimized detectors

Dan A. Strellis, Mashal Elsalim, Tsahi Gozani

Proceedings Volume 8017, Detection and Sensing of Mines, Explosive Objects, and Obscured Targets XVI; 801717 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.884421
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2011, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

We have previously reported results from a human-portable system using neutron interrogation to detect contraband and explosives. We summarized our methodology for distinguishing threat materials such as narcotics, C4, and mustard gas in the myriad of backgrounds present in the maritime environment. We are expanding our mission for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) to detect Special Nuclear Material (SNM) through the detection of multiple fission signatures without compromising the conventional threat detection performance. This paper covers our initial investigations into using neutrons from compact pulsed neutron generators via the d(D,n)³He or d(T,n)α reactions with energies of ~2.5 and 14 MeV, respectively, for explosives (and other threats) detection along with a variety of gamma-ray detectors. Fast neutrons and thermal neutrons (after successive collisions) can stimulate the emission of various threat detection signatures. For explosives detection, element-specific gamma-ray signatures via the (n,n'γ) inelastic scattering reaction and the (n,'γ) thermal capture reaction are detected. For SNM, delayed gamma-rays following fission can be measured with the same detector. Our initial trade-off investigations of several gamma-ray detectors types (NaI, CsI, LaBr₃, HPGe) for measuring gamma-ray signatures in a pulsed neutron environment for potential application in a human-portable active interrogation system are covered in this paper.

Citation Download Citation

Dan A. Strellis, Mashal Elsalim, and Tsahi Gozani "Explosives (and other threats) detection using pulsed neutron interrogation and optimized detectors", Proc. SPIE 8017, Detection and Sensing of Mines, Explosive Objects, and Obscured Targets XVI, 801717 (23 May 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.884421

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