Neutron Interrogation for Detection of Contraband in Cargo

Abstract

Neutron interrogation is a method used to determine the elemental composition of an object within a closed container. This has applications at shipping ports, as traditional x-ray techniques fail as the x-rays are easily shielded by steel shipping containers, but neutrons are not. By detecting the radiation from neutron-induced radiative capture reactions, we can determine the elemental ratio of the object, as each element gives off discrete gamma ray energies from the reaction. We explored a neutron source of heavy water driven by our linear accelerator in simulation and measurement. We saw promising results for the signature energies in simulation, but there are significant hurdles to overcome to demonstrate this technique in real measurements.