A method for detecting Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) or Radiological dispersion Devices (RDD), comprising: conveying an object along a predetermined path; imaging a distribution of radioactive sources associated with the object as it passes along said path; determining the presence and location of one or both of an RDD or SNM radioactive source within the object.

Detection of nuclear materials

A detector for detecting radiation, the detector comprising: a plurality of elongate scintillator segments arranged in a side by side array; and at least one pair of light sensors optically coupled to ends of each of the elongate scintillator such that they receive light from scintillations produced in the scintillator and generate electrical signals responsive thereto.

Nuclear Threat Detection

A vehicle-based threat detection system (10) for detecting weapons in a vehicle includes at least one sensor (12) in a cargo holding area of the vehicle. The sensor (12) is connected to at least one detector (14) that detects presence of a weapon in the cargo holding area. A warning system (16) is capable of communicating detection of a weapon to a location remote from the cargo holding area.

Vehicle-Based Threat Detection System

A system and method for scanning carriers for objects include the capability to sense a radioactive object in the detection proximity of a platform and form a signal indicative thereof and to determine whether an illicit radioactive object may be in the detection proximity. The system and method also include the capability to sense a metallic object in the detection proximity of the platform and form a signal indicative thereof and to determine whether an illicit metallic object may be in the detection proximity.

System and method for scanning carriers for objects

A gamma ray detector (50) comprises a plastic scintillation body (52) arranged to receive incident gamma rays to be detected. Photons are generated in response to the gamma rays by excitation and de-excitation processes in the scintillation body. The photons are detected using at least one photodetector (56) which generates an output signal representative of the energy of the gamma rays. The scintillation body has a detection surface to receive the gamma rays and a thickness in a direction substantially orthogonal to the detection surface that is not greater than 5 cm. Deconvolution techniques can be used to improve the output signal; the thinness of the scintillation body allows sufficiently accurate results to be obtained that individual isotopes can be readily identified. The detector can be usefully employed in portal radiation monitors.

Gamma Ray Detectors

A portal radiation monitor combines 0.1% FAR with high sensitivity to special nuclear material. The monitor utilizes pulse shape discrimination, dynamic compression of the photomultiplier output and scintillators sized to maintain efficiency over the entire portal area.

Lyle W. Kruse

Papers

Portal radiation monitor