Development of a Dual-Modality Gamma-ray/Fast Neutron Imaging System for Air Cargo Inspection

Abstract

High-energy radiation sources have provided a strong security inspection capability using a non-invasive imaging system. The use of multiple radiation sources in one imaging system can also lead to a more powerful system that can classify various materials compared to using a single radiation source. The Advanced Radiation Technology Institute of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has developed an air cargo inspection system using multiple radiation sources such as fast neutrons and gamma-rays to classify the plastics, metals, and organics among various sample materials. The fast neutron beam with an energy of 14.1 MeV, generated using the D-T neutron generator, and the gamma-ray beam with an energy of 6 MeV, generated by an electron linear accelerator, are projected onto the vertically aligned scintillator-based radiation detectors. The neutron and gamma-ray images of a cargo container moved by a motorized linear translation stage are acquired, and the image data processing shows good material classification results. In this paper, we describe a multi-radiation imaging system for air cargo inspection and investigate its material classification capability using various sample materials.