SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL DETECTION
Detection of Neutron Emitting Nuclear Materials
Since 9/11, there has been an increased concern that enemies of the US and its allies will not hesitate to consider all available means to inflict damage on national interests, both domestic and abroad. There is a very worrisome potential for asymmetric attacks using terrorist tactics with nuclear materials and weapons. All attempts must be made to thwart such attacks through careful intelligence, together with effective, economical and widely deployed sensors to detect special nuclear materials (SNM) such as uranium and plutonium.
The danger of nuclear materials proliferation and unauthorized movement simply cannot be underestimated or overstated. Those who have been charged with responsibilities in the area of special nuclear materials monitoring and control, bear a very heavy, almost impossibly challenging burden. Indeed, the 'SNM detection problem' is enormously difficult, due not only to logistical issues where networks of fixed detector systems can be circumvented, but just as importantly due to the laws of physics, where natural background radiation and time and distance factors can severely attenuate the neutron signal.
Through the support of Homeland Security, NOVA is developing and evaluating advanced solutions to this very difficult problem. Small, hand-held neutron detectors are needed to service a broad range of first responders and government personnel in identifying the presence of clandestine nuclear materials. Moreover, direct integration of such small detector modules into moving vehicles is the preferred solution, allowing sufficient time and flexibility to record statistically significant data - as opposed to a networks of fixed detectors, which clearly must be supplemented.
The currently favored neutron detectors are based on pressurized gaseous 3He tubes. Such systems are very expensive and of limited supply for widespread application due partly because it is artificially produced. Furthermore, pressurized gas systems may present an explosion hazard unacceptable in certain transport situations.
In a parallel approach to our neutron imaging detectors, NOVA is developing and prototyping detectors based on the solid-state 10B- and Gd-doping concept for use in compact, low power, and covert systems to detect the secondary charged particles emitted from these materials. NOVA's extensive expertise in neutron detection techniques, based on microchannel plate (MCP) technology, has lead to revised and improved concepts of nuclear materials detection.
Gamma-ray Insensitive
Through implementation of NOVA's new and proprietary advance in gamma ray rejection technology, the gamma-ray sensitivity of our MCP neutron detectors can now be reduced to levels competitive with the already extremely low gamma sensitivity of 3He gas tubes - that is, to neutron-gamma detection sensitivity ratios of at least several orders of magnitude. Please contact NOVA directly for further details.
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