Speaker
Description
Radiation detection is an established component of nuclear-security systems used at borders, ports, critical infrastructure and major public events. Passive radiation portal monitors screen vehicles, cargo and people while portable monitors, backpack systems, personal radiation detectors and handheld radionuclide identification devices support searches, alarm investigation and secondary inspection. In typical security applications, neutron detection complements gamma-ray measurement because it provides an important indication of the possible presence of special nuclear material. Scintillators remain the detector technology of choice within the security industry for radiation detection owing to their versatility, robustness and cost.
This presentation will review current and emerging scintillator technology in the context of neutron detection for security applications. This will include established pulse processing techniques that enable NaI(Tl) detectors already deployed in radionuclide identification devices to detect fast neutrons and thermal neutrons. Novel polyurethane-based organic scintillators will also be presented. These offer simultaneous fast-neutron and gamma-ray detection, pulse-shape discrimination, fast response and direct coupling with silicon photomultipliers that could enable use in future radionuclide detection products.
Beyond passive detection, neutrons could also provide complementary imaging information to established x-ray-based techniques where dense or highly attenuating cargo limits X-ray penetration, or where improved sensitivity to organic and hydrogen-rich materials is required. This talk will highlight areas of interest for neutron imaging were this technique able to make the jump from facility-based measurements to deployable real-world systems.