Vibration-Resistant, High-Pressure Xenon Gamma-Ray Detector

70338B02-II High-pressure, xenon-filled gamma-ray detectors offer to nuclear spectroscopy the ability to distinguish nuclear material in many applications. These include the detection of illicit nuclear material for homeland defense, and cleanup of radioactive contamination from past nuclear weapons development. However, these detectors exhibit a sensitivity to vibration that limits their applicability in the field. This sensitivity is caused by a physical component (a fine wire grid) that is needed to make the detector output easily decipherable. This project will develop technology for replacing this component with sophisticated computer processing to recover the output information. Phase I demonstrated that the signal could be recovered and that the vibration sensitivity was greatly reduced. Phase II will implement an instantaneous computation procedure and reduce the signal error to levels that are the same or better than before the grid removal. Commercial Applications And Other Benefits as described by awardee: The detectors should find use in the interdiction of nuclear material being smuggled into or out of the U.S., in the detection of nuclear material in a dirty bomb, and in the diversion of nuclear material from nuclear facilities under IAEA inspection. The detectors also could be applied to the cleanup of nuclear waste.