RAPID DETECTION AND LOCALIZATION OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS

We report on the development of a novel approach to sensitive detection and imaging of special nuclear materials (SNM) within the context of an organic scintillator-based radiation portal monitor (RPM) prototype system. The system uses fast time- and energy correlations between detected neutrons and gamma rays as an additional detection modality for achieving enhanced sensitivity for SNM with low false alarm rates. Rapid and precise localization of small amounts of SNM within the field of view is made possible using the newly developed neutron-gamma emission tomography (NGET) technique. This novel imaging modality addresses global security threats from terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. It is versatile and can readily be adapted to different detection geometries in different applications for nuclear security, public safety, nuclear accident scenarios and radiological surveying in various contexts.