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Title: Scatter in Cargo Radiography

Abstract

As a complement to passive detection systems, radiographic inspection of cargo is an increasingly important tool for homeland security because it has the potential to detect highly attenuating objects associated with special nuclear material or surrounding shielding, in addition to screening for items such as drugs or contraband. Radiographic detection of such threat objects relies on high image contrast between regions of different density and atomic number (Z). Threat detection is affected by scatter of the interrogating beamin the cargo, the radiographic system itself, and the surrounding environment, which degrades image contrast. Here, we estimate the extent to which scatter plays a role in radiographic imaging of cargo containers. Stochastic transport simulations were performed to determine the details of the radiography equipment and surrounding environment, which are important in reproducing measured data and to investigate scatter magnitudes for typical cargo. We find that scatter plays a stronger role in cargo radiography than in typicalmedical imaging scenarios, even for low-density cargo, with scatter-toprimary ratios ranging from 0.14 for very low density cargo, to between 0.20 and 0.40 for typical cargo, and higher yet for dense cargo.

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1016205
Report Number(s):
INL/JOU-11-22417
Journal ID: ISSN 0969-8043; TRN: US1103015
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC07-05ID14517
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Applied Radiation and Isotopes
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 69; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0969-8043
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; ATOMIC NUMBER; CARGO; CONTAINERS; DETECTION; SECURITY; SHIELDING; TRANSPORT; cargo inspection; Monte Carlo simulation; radiographic image simulation; radiography; scatter; special nuclear material detection

Citation Formats

Miller, Erin A, Caggiano, Joseph A, Runkle, Robert C, White, Timothy A, and Bevill, Aaron M. Scatter in Cargo Radiography. United States: N. p., 2011. Web. doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2010.12.006.
Miller, Erin A, Caggiano, Joseph A, Runkle, Robert C, White, Timothy A, & Bevill, Aaron M. Scatter in Cargo Radiography. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2010.12.006
Miller, Erin A, Caggiano, Joseph A, Runkle, Robert C, White, Timothy A, and Bevill, Aaron M. 2011. "Scatter in Cargo Radiography". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2010.12.006.
@article{osti_1016205,
title = {Scatter in Cargo Radiography},
author = {Miller, Erin A and Caggiano, Joseph A and Runkle, Robert C and White, Timothy A and Bevill, Aaron M},
abstractNote = {As a complement to passive detection systems, radiographic inspection of cargo is an increasingly important tool for homeland security because it has the potential to detect highly attenuating objects associated with special nuclear material or surrounding shielding, in addition to screening for items such as drugs or contraband. Radiographic detection of such threat objects relies on high image contrast between regions of different density and atomic number (Z). Threat detection is affected by scatter of the interrogating beamin the cargo, the radiographic system itself, and the surrounding environment, which degrades image contrast. Here, we estimate the extent to which scatter plays a role in radiographic imaging of cargo containers. Stochastic transport simulations were performed to determine the details of the radiography equipment and surrounding environment, which are important in reproducing measured data and to investigate scatter magnitudes for typical cargo. We find that scatter plays a stronger role in cargo radiography than in typicalmedical imaging scenarios, even for low-density cargo, with scatter-toprimary ratios ranging from 0.14 for very low density cargo, to between 0.20 and 0.40 for typical cargo, and higher yet for dense cargo.},
doi = {10.1016/j.apradiso.2010.12.006},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1016205}, journal = {Applied Radiation and Isotopes},
issn = {0969-8043},
number = 3,
volume = 69,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2011},
month = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2011}
}