Device for detection and identification of carbon- and nitrogen-containing materials

1. A device comprising:

an electron accelerator configured to generate pulses of an accelerated electron beam;

a breaking target configured to receive the pulses of the accelerated electron beam and generating an incident gamma radiation to be directed at a test object; and

a radiation detector configured to detect and measure secondary gamma radiation from carbon- and/or nitrogen-containing materials in the test object undergoing radioactive decay following irradiation of the test object by the incident gamma radiation, thus detecting and identifying the carbon- and/or nitrogen-containing materials in the test object,

wherein the radiation detector contains no carbon and/or no nitrogen in its sensing volume.

2. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising control electronics, associated with the electron accelerator and the radiation detector, configured to:

initiate each of the electron accelerator pulses;

terminate each of the electron accelerator pulses;

time a controlled delay;

initiate measurements by photodetectors of the radiation detector only after the controlled delay after termination of each of the electron accelerator pulses; and

terminate measurements by the photodetectors before initiating the next electron accelerator pulse.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the electron accelerator is a race-track microtron.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the race-track microtron operates with an energy of 55 MeV and comprises an injection system, an accelerating structure, two reversing end magnets, a radiofrequency (RF) feed system, a beam diagnostic and steering system, and a control system.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the breaking target is tantalum.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation detector has an energy threshold of about 0.8 MeV.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation detector has an energy threshold of about 2 MeV.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation detector is a water-filled Cherenkov radiation counter (WCC).

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting and identifying of the carbon- and/or nitrogen-containing materials in the test object comprises:

irradiating the test object by a pulse of gamma radiation, the test object comprising carbon- and/or nitrogen- containing material;

measuring of a secondary radiation from decay products of nitrogen-12 and boron-12 isotopes, wherein the nitrogen-12 and boron-12 isotopes are formed by the irradiation of the carbon- and/or nitrogen containing material from the test object;

recording one or more time spectra of signals from the secondary radiation; and

analyzing the spectra to determine if nitrogen-12 and/or boron-12 isotopes are present based on the decay signature thereof, thus detecting nitrogen- and/or carbon-containing materials.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the detecting and identifying of the carbon and/or nitrogen-containing materials in the test object further comprises comparing the relative content of nitrogen to carbon to a database of similar information based on known samples.

11. A device comprising:

an electron accelerator, comprising a race-track microtron with an operating energy of >50MeV and configured to generate pulses of an accelerated electron beam;

a breaking target, comprising tantalum and configured to receive the pulses of the accelerated electron beam and generating an incident gamma radiation to be directed at a test object; and

a radiation detector, comprising a water-filled Cherenkov radiation counter and configured to detect and measure secondary gamma radiation from carbon and/or nitrogen materials undergoing radioactive decay following irradiation of the test object by the incident gamma radiation, thus detecting and identifying the carbon and/or nitrogen containing materials in the test object.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the water-filled Cherenkov radiation counter comprises:

a tank filled with water configured to interact with the secondary gamma radiation to generate Cherenkov radiation;

a plurality of photodetectors configured to measure the generated Cherenkov radiation in the tank filled with water; and

control electronics comprising a starting generator and a time analyzer and configured to:

initiate each of the electron accelerator pulses;

terminate each of the electron accelerator pulses;

time a controlled delay;

initiate measurements by photodetectors of the radiation detector only after the controlled delay after termination of each of the electron accelerator pulses; and

terminate measurements by the photodetectors before initiating the next electron accelerator pulse.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the Cherenkov radiation is generated by electrons and positrons formed by interaction of secondary radiation with water, the secondary radiation formed by radio-nuclei decay of boron-12 and nitrogen-12formed by irradiation of a test object by gamma radiation from the breaking target bombarded by electrons accelerated by the race-track microtron.

14. The device according to claim 11 , wherein wherein the device is adapted for detecting secondary gamma radiation from carbon and/or nitrogen containing materials in a test object concealed by one or more layers of concealment materials.

15. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the device is adapted for detecting secondary gamma radiation from carbon and/or nitrogen containing materials concealed by one or more layers of concealment materials of a few millimeters to a few tens of centimeters thick each.

16. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the device is adapted for identifying carbon and/or nitrogen containing materials in test objects concealed by one or more layers of concealment materials by identification of time spectra obtained by the irradiation of the test objects via a comparison of the time spectra of the test objects to the time spectra of known materials.

17. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the device is configured for use in stationary or mobile installations.

18. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the detecting and identifying of the carbon- and/or nitrogen-containing materials in the test object comprises:

irradiating the test object by a pulse of gamma radiation, the test object

comprising carbon- and/or nitrogen- containing material;

measuring of a secondary radiation from decay products of nitrogen-12 and boron-12 isotopes, wherein the nitrogen-12 and boron-12 isotopes are formed by the irradiation of the carbon- and/or nitrogen containing material from the test object;

recording one or more time spectra of signals from the secondary radiation;

analyzing the spectra to determine if nitrogen-12 and/or boron-12 isotopes are present based on the decay signature thereof, thus detecting nitrogen- and/or carbon-containing materials.