Manufacturing equipment for nuclear detection more effectively

A Swiss company is trying to compete to receive $ 200,000 in funding (about £ 129,000) in London in October 2011, thanks to the development of new technologies to support effectively. for detecting and arresting smugglers and terrorists on the way of transporting nuclear materials.

Arktis radiation detector is a radiation detector , designed to help customs officials and border guards detect and distinguish dangerous nuclear materials from available sources of radiation outside nature. .

Many existing detectors are used to detect smuggling of nuclear materials in border areas and harbors that are often alarmed, because harmless goods such as bananas and ceramics also create out gamma radiation.

The Arktis radiation detector can also detect special nuclear materials used to make weapons, such as uranium and plutonium, which emit only a weak radioactive source and can easily camouflage in The protective material layer is not detected by some current radiation detectors.

The Arktis radiation detector, built on new findings in dark matter research by the European Nuclear Research Council (CERN), uses helium compression tubes to detect: "neutrons" fast. "High energy has a strong protective layer emitted from special nuclear materials and accurately identifies the hiding location.

"Previously, mainly these neutrons were slowed down before you could measure," said Mario Vogeli, Arktis' chief executive, told The Engineer.

But you will not grasp the exact information about the origin of these neutrons. By using Arktis radiation detectors, we can detect "fast" neutrons directly without sending them through the slow process.

When compared to most other materials, Helium is more sensitive to "fast" neutrons, because of the atomic structure of Helium and when it comes to light, these neutrons or gamma rays will collide with materials. helium element.

"From the pulses of light, we can tell whether we detect a neutron or gamma ray, we can know how much energy has been sent, we can know where and when the similarity is. This work (with nanosecond precision), " Vogeli said.

Arktis radiation detector has developed an electronic system strong enough to read and process energy signals, as well as using a helium purification process and specially selected materials to ensure the signal is clearly.

Although the Arktis radiation detector can extract more information about neutrons, it does not need to detect many neutrons like existing scanners, instead the detector for Arktis radiation is very sensitive. feel to distinguish specific sources from background radiation.

"We have changed the way people think about this issue," according to Vogeli. "It's not about how many neutrons you measure, it's about the data you get."

Helium has been used in previous detectors, one of its two common forms at low temperatures to detect ionization or use He-3 isotopes to detect slow neutrons. However, the Arktis radiation detector is the first scanner to measure Helium irradiation of light signals caused by fast neutrons.

Arktis radiation detector has developed a modular prototype of the device and is currently optimizing signal quality and the life of the technology, a process expected to take about six months .

Arktis radiation detectors hope to provide solutions tailored to the needs of customers, equipped with more pressure hose modules needed to scan larger, farther and clear objects. Shorter period, for example, a truck driving across the border.

The Arktis Radiation Detector company, is also working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to measure the plutonium content present in used oxide fuel, containing a mixture of radioactive substances.

This technology may be particularly important when dealing with nuclear materials with no detailed data, such as from illegal sources or from countries that have experienced political instability and information about nuclear material has been lost.

Other potential applications include radiation detection in the oil and gas industry, but the company sees security as the most promising area to exploit.

Arktis radiation detector company is hoping to beat 5 other companies to win the battle for government funding and private investment distribution for companies with technological improvements Help deal with global security challenges.

The company receives start-up funding, as well as companies that receive other awards for security, cyber, energy and health will be decided at London's Live Live fair on 24-25. October 2011.