Improved Multinuclide Imaging of Special Nuclear Material Using a High Purity Germanium Double Sided Strip Detector

<p>In the conduct of this research effort neutron activated Sn sources and standard radioactive sources were used to simulate the gamma energy spectrum of a nuclear weapon pit. A converging hole collimator was designed constructed and mated with an HPGe Double Sided Strip Detector. A MATLAB image processing code was developed to produce a grayscale image of the sources. A variety of source configurations was examined to demonstrate the system's ability to obtain proper spatial distribution information for a multinuclide gamma emitting source. By replacing the converging hole collimator with a second detector array (as in a Compton camera) to improve detector efficiency HPGe strip detectors may be used for the intended application of identifying the presence of a spoof weapon pit consisting of multiple nuclide sources meant to mimic a real weapon pit.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>