Nonparametric Statistical Tests for Radioactive Source Detection

Abstract

This work describes a study carried out to assess the feasibility of using radiation sensors for real-time detection of radioactive sources within a facility. The source detection problem is formulated as a nonparametric hypothesis test using statistics computed from the radiation sensor signals. The purpose of this study is the development of tools that enhance the security and safety of nuclear material processing facilities by introducing new sensor modalities and developing remote monitoring capabilities. The results indicate that a source can be detected quite well using non parametric statistical tests in spite of poor signal to noise ratios, unknown background signals, and high measurement noise levels.