AN INNOVATIVE, RADIATION RESISTANT AND HIGH RESOLUTION SYSTEM FOR X-RAY INSPECTION OF MUNITION ITEMS

A THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM IS PROPOSED TO CARRY OUT A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF AN INNOVATIVE RADIATION RESISTANT DETECTOR SYSTEM WITH HIGH SPATIAL AND ENERGY RESOLUTION FOR 2-DIMENSIONAL IMAGING OF 300 KV TO 1 MV X-RAYS. IT WILL BE PRIMARILY DEVELOPED AND DESIGNED FOR X-RAY INSPECTION OF MUNITION ITEMS. IT IS EXPECTED TO HAVE STRONG POTENTIAL TO WORK CONTINUOUSLY UNDER HIGH X-RAY FLUXES WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT DEGRADATION OF ITS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. IT HAS EXCELLENT SPATIAL RESOLUTION OF 40 MICRON X40 MICRON OR LARGER. IT ALSO HAS X-RAY PHOTON DIRECTION MEASUREMENT CAPABILITY WITH AN ANGULAR RESOLUTION OF ABOUT 1 DEGREE. THIS INFORMATION CAN LEAD TO 3-DIMENSIONAL IMAGING CAPABILITY. IT WILL ALSO HELP IDENTIFY AND REDUCE SCATTERED X-RAY PHOTON BACKGROUND. THE ENERGY OF THE X-RAY PHOTONS CAN BE MEASURED WITH AN ENERGY RESOLUTION OF ABOUT 5% AT L MEV. THIS WILL ALSO ENABLE THE IDENTIFICATION AND REJECTION OF THE SCATTERED X-RAY PHOTONS, WHICH WILL SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE THE BACKGROUND, ESPECIALLY IF MONOENERGETIC X-RAY SOURCES ARE USED. THE PROPSED DETECTOR ALSO HAS HIGH SENSITIVITY WHICH WILL HELP REDUCE X-RAY SOURCE STRENGTH AND ENABLE THE IMAGING OF HIGH DENSITY AND/OR LARGE MUNITION ITEMS. THE DETECTOR CAN BE EASILY SCALED UP OR DOWN IN SIZE TO ADJUST ITS SENSITIVITY TO MATCH THE SIZE AND DENSITY OF ITEMS UNDER INSPECTION. IT WILL HAVE REAL TIME DATA ANALYSIS AND IMAGING HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR INSTANTANEOUS IMAGING OF MUNITION ITEMS. PRELIMINARY MONTE CARLO CALCULATIONS SIMULATING A GENERIC DETECTOR SHOW HIGH SENSITIVITY, GOOD ANGULAR AND ENERGY RESOLUTIONS FOR 300 KEV TO 30 MEV ENERGY RANGE.