A Bayesian Nuclide Identification Algorithm Based on the Energy Spectrum

Abstract

A fast and reliable nuclide identification algorithm is important to the detection of radioactive materials, and the emergence of a sequential Bayesian algorithm provides a new direction of research on radioactive detection. This article proposes a Bayesian nuclide identification algorithm based on the energy spectrum and deploys the algorithm on a microprocessor for real-time online processing. The algorithm builds a probability model based on the natural background radiation and radioactive source radiation and a decision function based on sequence testing. The processor conducts a posteriori estimation on the collected energy spectrum at fixed time intervals and updates the decision function. A laboratory self-developed CeBr3 detector was used in testing. Four radioactive sources, namely 241Am, 133Ba, 137Cs, and 60Co, were used in experiments with fixed and moving radioactive sources. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can rapidly identify mixed and mobile radioactive sources.