DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF RADIATION SOURCES TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS

Sensitive detection and identification of rapidly moving radioactive sources has been demonstrated as part of a prototype system developed for real-time detection and notification of unauthorized radioactive material movement. A radiation detection system employing large-volume radiation sensors for pass-by detection of radioactive sources has been designed, assembled, tested, and modeled. The custom system uses a variety of commercially available detector and electronic components and special analysis software. Tests have been conducted using sources placed in vehicles traveling along highways over a range of speeds and separations between detector and source. The system reliably detected and identified in real time sources that were part of the testing procedure, in addition to numerous other industrial and medical sources.