Systems for detecting charged particles in object inspection
Abstract
Techniques, apparatus and systems for detecting particles such as muons. In one implementation, a monitoring system has a cosmic ray-produced charged particle tracker with a plurality of drift cells. The drift cells, which can be for example aluminum drift tubes, can be arranged at least above and below a volume to be scanned to thereby track incoming and outgoing charged particles, such as cosmic ray-produced muons, while also detecting gamma rays. The system can selectively detect devices or materials, such as iron, lead, gold and/or tungsten, occupying the volume from multiple scattering of the charged particles passing through the volume and can also detect any radioactive sources occupying the volume from gamma rays emitted therefrom. If necessary, the drift tubes can be sealed to eliminate the need for a gas handling system. The system can be employed to inspect occupied vehicles at border crossings for nuclear threat objects.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1093252
- Patent Number(s):
- 8513601
- Application Number:
- 13/591,118
- Assignee:
- Los Alamos National Security, LLC (Los Alamos, NM)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01V - GEOPHYSICS
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION; 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Citation Formats
Morris, Christopher L., and Makela, Mark F. Systems for detecting charged particles in object inspection. United States: N. p., 2013.
Web.
Morris, Christopher L., & Makela, Mark F. Systems for detecting charged particles in object inspection. United States.
Morris, Christopher L., and Makela, Mark F. Tue .
"Systems for detecting charged particles in object inspection". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1093252.
@article{osti_1093252,
title = {Systems for detecting charged particles in object inspection},
author = {Morris, Christopher L. and Makela, Mark F.},
abstractNote = {Techniques, apparatus and systems for detecting particles such as muons. In one implementation, a monitoring system has a cosmic ray-produced charged particle tracker with a plurality of drift cells. The drift cells, which can be for example aluminum drift tubes, can be arranged at least above and below a volume to be scanned to thereby track incoming and outgoing charged particles, such as cosmic ray-produced muons, while also detecting gamma rays. The system can selectively detect devices or materials, such as iron, lead, gold and/or tungsten, occupying the volume from multiple scattering of the charged particles passing through the volume and can also detect any radioactive sources occupying the volume from gamma rays emitted therefrom. If necessary, the drift tubes can be sealed to eliminate the need for a gas handling system. The system can be employed to inspect occupied vehicles at border crossings for nuclear threat objects.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2013},
month = {8}
}
Works referenced in this record:
The large size straw drift chambers of the COMPASS experiment
journal, January 2006
- Bychkov, V. N.; Dedek, N.; Dünnweber, W.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 556, Issue 1