TY - GEN
T1 - A dual-purpose ion-accelerator for nuclear-reaction-based explosives-and SNM-detection in Massive Cargo
AU - Goldberg, M. B.
AU - Dangendorf, V.
AU - Vartsky, D.
AU - Bar, D.
AU - Böttger, R.
AU - Brandis, M.
AU - Bromberger, B.
AU - Feldman, G.
AU - Friedman, E.
AU - Heflinger, D.
AU - Lauck, R.
AU - Löb, S.
AU - Maier-Komor, P.
AU - Mardor, I.
AU - Mor, I.
AU - Speidel, K. H.
AU - Tittelmeier, K.
AU - Weierganz, M.
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - A concept is presented for a dual-purpose ion-accelerator, capable of serving as radiation source in a versatile, nuclear-reaction-based inspection system for massive-cargo. The system will automatically and reliably detect small, operationally-relevant quantities of concealed explosives and Special Nuclear Materials (SNM). It will be cost-effective, employing largely-common hardware, but different reactions and data acquisition modes. Typical throughput is expected to be 10-20 aviation containers/hr, at the beam intensities specified below. With such an inspection system, explosives are detected via γ-Resonance Absorption (GRA) in 14N using 9.17 MeV γ-rays produced in 13C(p,γ), and SNM via Dual-Discrete-Energy γ-Radiography (DEGR) with 15.11 & 4.43 MeV 12C γ-rays from 11B(d,n). Simultaneously with the scan, 1-17 MeV neutrons from the latter reaction will yield complementary information, both on explosives and on SNM, via Fast-Neutron Resonance Radiography (FNRR). Few-view radiography will be implemented throughout, since spatial reconstruction of threat-object densities reduces false-alarm rates drastically. Nevertheless, if a cargo item does alarm the system on SNM, confirmation of its presence and composition will be effected via a secondary-screening technique, namely, induced-fission decay-signatures, employing the 11B(d,n) neutrons. This should only be required in solitary cases and will thus not impede cargo flow to any appreciable extent. For explosives, the GRA/FNRR combination comprehensively covers the entire spectrum of substances in the arena and no secondary-screening technique should be required. The essence of the accelerator concept is a fixed-energy machine, alternately delivering mass-2 beams of H2 + (3 mA, cw) and deuterons (0.2 mA, pulsed) for GRA and DEGR/FNRR, respectively. It will operate at precisely double the GRA resonance energy of Ep=1.746 MeV (namely, 3.492 MeV) and require beam-energy resolution no better than ∼15 keV (FWTM). This specification was confirmed in a recent measurement, first reported here, of the GRA emission-linewidth obtained with H2+ ions, when driving the resonance into the depth of a moderately-thick 13C target. For most acceleration techniques, such beam-energy resolution requirements are not unduly stringent, which works in favour of the high-current requirement. On deuteron beams there are no energy resolution constraints, as the 11B(d,n) reaction is non-resonant.
AB - A concept is presented for a dual-purpose ion-accelerator, capable of serving as radiation source in a versatile, nuclear-reaction-based inspection system for massive-cargo. The system will automatically and reliably detect small, operationally-relevant quantities of concealed explosives and Special Nuclear Materials (SNM). It will be cost-effective, employing largely-common hardware, but different reactions and data acquisition modes. Typical throughput is expected to be 10-20 aviation containers/hr, at the beam intensities specified below. With such an inspection system, explosives are detected via γ-Resonance Absorption (GRA) in 14N using 9.17 MeV γ-rays produced in 13C(p,γ), and SNM via Dual-Discrete-Energy γ-Radiography (DEGR) with 15.11 & 4.43 MeV 12C γ-rays from 11B(d,n). Simultaneously with the scan, 1-17 MeV neutrons from the latter reaction will yield complementary information, both on explosives and on SNM, via Fast-Neutron Resonance Radiography (FNRR). Few-view radiography will be implemented throughout, since spatial reconstruction of threat-object densities reduces false-alarm rates drastically. Nevertheless, if a cargo item does alarm the system on SNM, confirmation of its presence and composition will be effected via a secondary-screening technique, namely, induced-fission decay-signatures, employing the 11B(d,n) neutrons. This should only be required in solitary cases and will thus not impede cargo flow to any appreciable extent. For explosives, the GRA/FNRR combination comprehensively covers the entire spectrum of substances in the arena and no secondary-screening technique should be required. The essence of the accelerator concept is a fixed-energy machine, alternately delivering mass-2 beams of H2 + (3 mA, cw) and deuterons (0.2 mA, pulsed) for GRA and DEGR/FNRR, respectively. It will operate at precisely double the GRA resonance energy of Ep=1.746 MeV (namely, 3.492 MeV) and require beam-energy resolution no better than ∼15 keV (FWTM). This specification was confirmed in a recent measurement, first reported here, of the GRA emission-linewidth obtained with H2+ ions, when driving the resonance into the depth of a moderately-thick 13C target. For most acceleration techniques, such beam-energy resolution requirements are not unduly stringent, which works in favour of the high-current requirement. On deuteron beams there are no energy resolution constraints, as the 11B(d,n) reaction is non-resonant.
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AN - SCOPUS:79952805790
SN - 9789201504104
T3 - International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Research Applications and Utilization of Accelerators
BT - International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Research Applications and Utilization of Accelerators
T2 - IAEA International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Research Applications and Utilization of Accelerators
Y2 - 4 May 2009 through 8 May 2009
ER -