Neutron interrogation system using high gamma ray signature to detect contraband special nuclear materials in cargo

1. An apparatus for inspecting a cargo container for the presence of special nuclear material wherein the cargo container's top and bottom have a width and the cargo container's sides have a height, comprising:

a neutron generator that produces a collimated neutron beam adapted to span the cargo container's width,

said neutron generator adapted to be positioned below the cargo container's bottom,

said collimated neutron beam positioned to span the cargo container's width and irradiate the cargo container with neutrons that produce fission products in the special nuclear material, said fission products producing gamma rays, and

a detector,

said detector positioned to cover the cargo container's sides and detect said fission products producing gamma rays indicating the presence of the special nuclear material.

2. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said detector is an array of liquid scintillators.

3. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said detector is a detector that detects delayed high-energy gamma rays produced by said fission products.

4. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said detector is a detector that detects gamma rays having high energies, (E γ >3 MeV).

5. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said detector is a detector that detects gamma rays having high energies, (E γ >3 MeV), and decay times, (T 1/2 ˜20 sec), produced by said fission products.

6. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said generator is a neutron generator that produces a directed and medium energy neutron beam.

7. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 including shielding positioned to shield said neutron generator that produces a collimated neutron beam adapted to span the cargo container's width.

8. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said generator is a neutron generator that produces a directed and medium energy neutron beam of 2 to 8 MeV.

9. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said generator is a neutron generator that produces pulsed neutrons.

10. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said generator is a neutron generator that produces a directed and medium energy neutron beam produced by the reaction of medium energy deuterons or protons in a target of deuterium, beryllium, or lithium.

11. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said generator is a neutron generator that produces a directed and medium energy neutron beam of 1 to 5 MeV produced by the reaction of medium energy deuterons or protons in a target of deuterium, beryllium, or lithium.

12. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said detector is a detector that detects fission products with half-lives in the range of 5-200 sec.

13. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said detector is a detector that detects fission products with half-lives in the range of 20-30 sec.

14. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said detector comprises a scintillator.

15. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said detector comprises a large array of pixilated plastic scintillators.

16. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein the cargo has two sides and wherein said detector comprises long linear arrays of detectors covering the full length of said two sides of said cargo container.

17. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said detector detects signals representing said fission products and provides temporal processing of said detected signals.

18. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 1 wherein said detector detects signals representing said fission products and provides temporal processing of said detected signals by monitoring the decay time of high-energy radiation from said fission products.

19. An apparatus for inspecting a cargo container for the presence of special nuclear material, wherein the cargo container is carried by a truck over the ground and wherein the cargo container's top and bottom have a width and the cargo container's sides have a height, comprising:

a neutron generator that produces a collimated neutron beam adapted to span the cargo container's width,

said neutron generator adapted to be positioned below the ground and below the cargo container's bottom,

said collimated neutron beam positioned to irradiate the bottom of the cargo container and the cargo container with neutrons that produce fission products in special nuclear material and produce gamma rays, and

a detector,

said detector positioned to cover the cargo container's sides for detecting said gamma rays indicating the presence of special nuclear material.

20. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said detector is an array of liquid scintillators.

21. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 including a towing device adapted to tow the truck and the cargo container over said neutron generator so that said thin fan collimated neutron beam irradiates the cargo with neutrons that produce fission products in special nuclear material and produces gamma rays.

22. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said detector is a detector for detecting gamma rays having high energies, (E γ >3 MeV).

23. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said detector is a detector for detecting gamma rays having high energies, (E γ >3 MeV), and decay times, (T 1/2 ˜20 sec), produced by said fission products.

24. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said generator is a neutron generator that produces a directed and medium energy neutron beam.

25. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 including shielding positioned to shield said neutron generator that produces a collimated neutron beam adapted to span the cargo container's width.

26. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said generator is a neutron generator that produces a directed and medium energy neutron beam of 2 to 8 MeV.

27. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said generator is a neutron generator that produces pulsed neutrons.

28. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said generator is a neutron generator that produces a directed and medium energy neutron beam produced by the reaction of medium energy deuterons or protons in a target of deuterium, beryllium, or lithium.

29. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said generator is a neutron generator that produces a directed and medium energy neutron beam of 1 to 5 MeV produced by the reaction of medium energy deuterons or protons in a target of deuterium, beryllium, or lithium.

30. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said detector is a detector that detects fission products with half-lives in the range of 5-200 sec.

31. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said detector is a detector that detects fission products with half-lives in the range of 20-30 sec.

32. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said detector comprises a scintillator.

33. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said detector comprises a large array of pixilated plastic scintillators.

34. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein the cargo container has two sides and wherein said detector comprises long linear arrays of detectors covering the full length of said two sides of said cargo container.

35. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said detector detects signals representing said fission products and provides temporal processing of said detected signals.

36. The apparatus for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 19 wherein said detector detects signals representing said fission products and provides temporal processing of said detected signals by monitoring the decay time of high-energy radiation from said fission products.

37. A method of inspecting a cargo container for the presence of special nuclear material, wherein the cargo container is carried by a truck over the ground and wherein the cargo container's top and bottom have a width and the cargo container's sides have a height, comprising the steps of:

positioning a neutron generator below the ground and below the cargo container's bottom in a position to direct a collimated neutron beam and irradiate the bottom of the cargo container and the cargo container with neutrons that produce fission products in special nuclear material and produce gamma rays, wherein said collimated neutron beam is adapted to span the cargo container's width,

towing the truck and the cargo container over the ground and over said neutron generator,

irradiating the cargo with neutrons that produce fission products in the special nuclear material and produce gamma rays,

positioning a detector to cover the cargo container's sides, and

detecting said gamma rays indicating the presence of the special nuclear material.

38. The method for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 37 wherein said step of detecting said gamma rays comprises detecting high gamma ray signatures of said fission products.

39. The method for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 37 wherein said wherein said step of detecting said gamma rays comprises detecting delayed high-energy gamma rays produced by said fission products.

40. The method for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 37 wherein said wherein said step of detecting said gamma rays comprises detecting gamma rays having high energies, (E γ >3 MeV).

41. The method for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 37 wherein said step of detecting said gamma rays comprises detecting gamma rays having high energies, (E γ >3 MeV), and decay times, (T 1/2 ˜20 sec), produced by said fission products.

42. The method for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 37 wherein said step of irradiate the cargo with neutrons comprises utilizing a directed and medium energy neutron beam to irradiate the cargo.

43. The method for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 37 wherein said step of irradiate the cargo with neutrons comprises utilizing a directed and medium energy neutron beam of 2 to 8 MeV to irradiate the cargo.

44. The method for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 37 wherein said step of irradiate the cargo with neutrons comprises irradiate the cargo with pulsed neutrons.

45. The method for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 37 wherein said step of detecting said gamma rays comprises detecting fission products with half-lives in the range of 5-200 sec.

46. The method for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 37 wherein said step of detecting said gamma rays comprises detecting fission products with half-lives in the range of 20-30 sec.

47. The method for inspecting cargo for the presence of special nuclear material of claim 37 wherein said step of detecting said gamma rays comprises detecting signals representing said fission products and providing temporal processing of said detected signals by monitoring the decay time of high-energy radiation from said fission products.