Remote detection of explosive substances
First Claim
1. Apparatus for detecting nitrogen or other substances of interest within a remote target and for locating the target, comprising:
- a thermal neutron source;
a first neutron shield which encloses the thermal neutron source and defines a first aperture to form a thermal neutron beam directed at the remote target;
a gamma ray detector which detects gamma rays produced by interaction of the thermal neutron beam with nitrogen or other substances of interest within the target and collects data relating to the detected gamma rays;
a first sensor associated with the first neutron shield and which determines the position of the first aperture; and
a detection processing module coupled to the first sensor and the detector and which associates the determined position of the first aperture with the collected data, to detect nitrogen or other substances of interest within the target, and to locate the target.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for effectively detecting and locating explosive substances within remote targets, including improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The detection apparatus includes a thermal neutron beam generator, a gamma ray detector, data collection modules and sensors, and a detection processing module. The thermal neutron beam generator includes a fast neutron source, a neutron moderator to slow the fast neutrons to thermal neutrons, and a rotatable neutron shield enclosing the generated thermal neutrons. The neutron shield has an aperture to form a thermal neutron beam directed at a remote target. If the remote target contains explosive substances, gamma rays radiate isotropically from the remote target when it is bombarded by the thermal neutrons. A portion of these gamma rays are intercepted and detected by the gamma ray detector, which is spaced apart from the thermal neutron source in order to minimize the neutron-irradiated air path seen by the detector, thereby reducing background noise. This arrangement is known as a “bistatic” orientation. The detection processing module determines whether the remote target contains explosive substances and further locates the target by processing the collected data from the gamma ray detector and the position sensor associated with the neutron shield. More specifically, the position sensor associated with the neutron shield transmits the azimuth and elevation of the aperture to the detection processing module, which in turn determines the thermal neutron beam direction and the remote target'"'"'s location.
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Citations
71 Claims
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1. Apparatus for detecting nitrogen or other substances of interest within a remote target and for locating the target, comprising:
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a thermal neutron source; a first neutron shield which encloses the thermal neutron source and defines a first aperture to form a thermal neutron beam directed at the remote target; a gamma ray detector which detects gamma rays produced by interaction of the thermal neutron beam with nitrogen or other substances of interest within the target and collects data relating to the detected gamma rays; a first sensor associated with the first neutron shield and which determines the position of the first aperture; and a detection processing module coupled to the first sensor and the detector and which associates the determined position of the first aperture with the collected data, to detect nitrogen or other substances of interest within the target, and to locate the target. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of detecting nitrogen or other substances of interest within a remote target and locating the target, comprising the acts of:
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generating thermal neutrons; shielding at least some of the generated thermal neutrons; directing at least some of the thermal neutrons through a first aperture to form a thermal neutron beam directed at the remote target; detecting gamma rays produced by interaction of the thermal neutron beam with nitrogen or other substances of interest within the target; collecting data related to the detected gamma rays; determining the position of the first aperture; and processing the determined position of the first aperture and the collected data so as to detect nitrogen or other substances of interest within the target, and to locate the target. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification