Project Gatekeeper: An Entrance Control System Embedded Radiation Detection Capability for Security Applications
Threat assessments continue to conclude that terrorist groups and individuals as well as those wanting to cause harm to society have the ambition and increasing means to acquire unconventional weapons such as improvised nuclear explosive devices and radiological disposal devices. Such assessments ar...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/10/2957 |
| _version_ | 1797567233059192832 |
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| author | Peter G. Martin Yannick Verbelen Elia Sciama Bandel Mark Andrews Thomas B. Scott |
| author_facet | Peter G. Martin Yannick Verbelen Elia Sciama Bandel Mark Andrews Thomas B. Scott |
| author_sort | Peter G. Martin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Threat assessments continue to conclude that terrorist groups and individuals as well as those wanting to cause harm to society have the ambition and increasing means to acquire unconventional weapons such as improvised nuclear explosive devices and radiological disposal devices. Such assessments are given credence by public statements of intent by such groups/persons, by reports of attempts to acquire radioactive material and by law enforcement actions which have interdicted, apprehended or prevented attempts to acquire such material. As a mechanism through which to identify radioactive materials being transported on an individual’s person, this work sought to develop a detection system that is of lower-cost, reduced form-factor and more covert than existing infrastructure, while maintaining adequate sensitivity and being retrofittable into an industry standard and widely utilised Gunnebo Speed Gate system. The system developed comprised an array of six off-set Geiger–Muller detectors positioned around the gate, alongside a single scintillator detector for spectroscopy, triggered by the systems inbuilt existing IR proximity sensor. This configuration served to not only reduce the cost for such a system but also allowed for source localisation and identification to be performed. Utilising the current setup, it was possible to detect a 1 µSv/h source carried into the Speed Gate in all test scenarios, alongside locating and spectrally analysing the material in a significant number. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:38:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8eb50a1429db4ec2be58636f444abe5c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:38:46Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-8eb50a1429db4ec2be58636f444abe5c2023-11-20T01:29:04ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202020-05-012010295710.3390/s20102957Project Gatekeeper: An Entrance Control System Embedded Radiation Detection Capability for Security ApplicationsPeter G. Martin0Yannick Verbelen1Elia Sciama Bandel2Mark Andrews3Thomas B. Scott4Interface Analysis Centre, School of Physics, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UKInterface Analysis Centre, School of Physics, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UKSchool of Physics, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UKGunnebo UK Ltd., Fairfax House, Pendeford Business Park, Wolverhampton WV9 5HA, UKInterface Analysis Centre, School of Physics, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UKThreat assessments continue to conclude that terrorist groups and individuals as well as those wanting to cause harm to society have the ambition and increasing means to acquire unconventional weapons such as improvised nuclear explosive devices and radiological disposal devices. Such assessments are given credence by public statements of intent by such groups/persons, by reports of attempts to acquire radioactive material and by law enforcement actions which have interdicted, apprehended or prevented attempts to acquire such material. As a mechanism through which to identify radioactive materials being transported on an individual’s person, this work sought to develop a detection system that is of lower-cost, reduced form-factor and more covert than existing infrastructure, while maintaining adequate sensitivity and being retrofittable into an industry standard and widely utilised Gunnebo Speed Gate system. The system developed comprised an array of six off-set Geiger–Muller detectors positioned around the gate, alongside a single scintillator detector for spectroscopy, triggered by the systems inbuilt existing IR proximity sensor. This configuration served to not only reduce the cost for such a system but also allowed for source localisation and identification to be performed. Utilising the current setup, it was possible to detect a 1 µSv/h source carried into the Speed Gate in all test scenarios, alongside locating and spectrally analysing the material in a significant number.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/10/2957radiationnuclear threat reductionsecurityportalGeiger–Mullergateway |
| spellingShingle | Peter G. Martin Yannick Verbelen Elia Sciama Bandel Mark Andrews Thomas B. Scott Project Gatekeeper: An Entrance Control System Embedded Radiation Detection Capability for Security Applications Sensors radiation nuclear threat reduction security portal Geiger–Muller gateway |
| title | Project Gatekeeper: An Entrance Control System Embedded Radiation Detection Capability for Security Applications |
| title_full | Project Gatekeeper: An Entrance Control System Embedded Radiation Detection Capability for Security Applications |
| title_fullStr | Project Gatekeeper: An Entrance Control System Embedded Radiation Detection Capability for Security Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Project Gatekeeper: An Entrance Control System Embedded Radiation Detection Capability for Security Applications |
| title_short | Project Gatekeeper: An Entrance Control System Embedded Radiation Detection Capability for Security Applications |
| title_sort | project gatekeeper an entrance control system embedded radiation detection capability for security applications |
| topic | radiation nuclear threat reduction security portal Geiger–Muller gateway |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/10/2957 |
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