Method and portable apparatus for the detection of substances by use of neutron irradiation
First Claim
1. A portable pulsed neutron detection system for detection of specific elements in an object, comprising:
- a manually transportable probe, said probe having a pulsed neutron generator and at least one gamma ray detector;
a controller operably connected to said pulsed neutron generator for varying the intensity and pulse characteristics of said pulsed neutron generator so as to emit a beam of neutrons from said generator;
a data acquisition system operably connected to said at least one gamma ray detector for collecting data measured by said detector; and
,means to analyze said data corresponding to fast neutron reactions, thermal neutron reactions and activation neutron reactions to determine the chemical composition of said object.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and portable apparatus which is used to detect substances, such as explosives and drugs, by neutron irradiation. The apparatus has a portable neutron generating probe and corresponding controllers and data collection computers. The probe emits neutrons in order to interrogate an object. The probe also contains gamma ray detectors for the collection of gamma rays from fast neutron, thermal neutron and neutron activation reactions. Data collected from these detectors is sent to the computer for data de-convolution then object identification in order to determine whether the object being interrogated contains explosives or illicit contraband.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A portable pulsed neutron detection system for detection of specific elements in an object, comprising:
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a manually transportable probe, said probe having a pulsed neutron generator and at least one gamma ray detector; a controller operably connected to said pulsed neutron generator for varying the intensity and pulse characteristics of said pulsed neutron generator so as to emit a beam of neutrons from said generator; a data acquisition system operably connected to said at least one gamma ray detector for collecting data measured by said detector; and
,means to analyze said data corresponding to fast neutron reactions, thermal neutron reactions and activation neutron reactions to determine the chemical composition of said object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification