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Title: Combining Radiography and Passive Measurements for Radiological Threat Localization in Cargo

Abstract

Detecting shielded special nuclear material (SNM) in a cargo container is a difficult problem, since shielding reduces the amount of radiation escaping the container. Radiography provides information that is complementary to that provided by passive gamma-ray detection systems: while not directly sensitive to radiological materials, radiography can reveal highly shielded regions that may mask a passive radiological signal. Combining these measurements has the potential to improve SNM detection, either through improved sensitivity or by providing a solution to the inverse problem to estimate source properties (strength and location). We present a data-fusion method that uses a radiograph to provide an estimate of the radiation-transport environment for gamma rays from potential sources. This approach makes quantitative use of radiographic images without relying on image interpretation, and results in a probabilistic description of likely source locations and strengths. We present results for this method for a modeled test case of a cargo container passing through a plastic-scintillator-based radiation portal monitor and a transmission-radiography system. We find that a radiograph-based inversion scheme allows for localization of a low-noise source placed randomly within the test container to within 40 cm, compared to 70 cm for triangulation alone, while strength estimation accuracy is improved bymore » a factor of six. Improvements are seen in regions of both high and low shielding, but are most pronounced in highly shielded regions. The approach proposed here combines transmission and emission data in a manner that has not been explored in the cargo-screening literature, advancing the ability to accurately describe a hidden source based on currently-available instrumentation.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  2. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Seattle, WA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1229975
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-100821
Journal ID: ISSN 0018-9499
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 62; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 0018-9499
Publisher:
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats

Miller, Erin A., White, Timothy A., Jarman, Kenneth D., Kouzes, Richard T., Kulisek, Jonathan A., Robinson, Sean M., and Wittman, Richard A. Combining Radiography and Passive Measurements for Radiological Threat Localization in Cargo. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1109/TNS.2015.2474146.
Miller, Erin A., White, Timothy A., Jarman, Kenneth D., Kouzes, Richard T., Kulisek, Jonathan A., Robinson, Sean M., & Wittman, Richard A. Combining Radiography and Passive Measurements for Radiological Threat Localization in Cargo. United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2015.2474146
Miller, Erin A., White, Timothy A., Jarman, Kenneth D., Kouzes, Richard T., Kulisek, Jonathan A., Robinson, Sean M., and Wittman, Richard A. 2015. "Combining Radiography and Passive Measurements for Radiological Threat Localization in Cargo". United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2015.2474146.
@article{osti_1229975,
title = {Combining Radiography and Passive Measurements for Radiological Threat Localization in Cargo},
author = {Miller, Erin A. and White, Timothy A. and Jarman, Kenneth D. and Kouzes, Richard T. and Kulisek, Jonathan A. and Robinson, Sean M. and Wittman, Richard A.},
abstractNote = {Detecting shielded special nuclear material (SNM) in a cargo container is a difficult problem, since shielding reduces the amount of radiation escaping the container. Radiography provides information that is complementary to that provided by passive gamma-ray detection systems: while not directly sensitive to radiological materials, radiography can reveal highly shielded regions that may mask a passive radiological signal. Combining these measurements has the potential to improve SNM detection, either through improved sensitivity or by providing a solution to the inverse problem to estimate source properties (strength and location). We present a data-fusion method that uses a radiograph to provide an estimate of the radiation-transport environment for gamma rays from potential sources. This approach makes quantitative use of radiographic images without relying on image interpretation, and results in a probabilistic description of likely source locations and strengths. We present results for this method for a modeled test case of a cargo container passing through a plastic-scintillator-based radiation portal monitor and a transmission-radiography system. We find that a radiograph-based inversion scheme allows for localization of a low-noise source placed randomly within the test container to within 40 cm, compared to 70 cm for triangulation alone, while strength estimation accuracy is improved by a factor of six. Improvements are seen in regions of both high and low shielding, but are most pronounced in highly shielded regions. The approach proposed here combines transmission and emission data in a manner that has not been explored in the cargo-screening literature, advancing the ability to accurately describe a hidden source based on currently-available instrumentation.},
doi = {10.1109/TNS.2015.2474146},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1229975}, journal = {IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science},
issn = {0018-9499},
number = 5,
volume = 62,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}