United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

Auburn University

Aleksandr Kavetskiy

Henry Allen Torbert, Iii

Galina N Yakubova

Stephen A Prior

Bryan A Chin

Nikolay Sargsyan

A system for analyzing soil content of a field includes a data acquisition unit configured to detect gamma spectra of each of a plurality of soil samples, wherein a surface area of the field is divided into a plurality of portions and the plurality of soil samples comprises at least one soil sample from each of the plurality of portions, a navigation unit configured to detect geographic coordinates of each of the plurality of soil samples, a data analysis unit configured to associate the detected gamma spectra of each of the plurality of soil samples with the geographic coordinates of the soil sample and determine a weight percent of at least one element within each of the soil samples based on the detected gamma spectra, and an element content map unit configured to generate a map indicating concentration of the at least one element within the soil of the field.

Scanning mode application of neutron-induced gamma analysis for soil carbon mapping

Multiple tagged neutrons are emitted from an associated particle imaging neutron generator. The tagged neutrons penetrate a target material and interact with the target material nucleus&#x2014;which emits nucleus-specific gamma rays. A gamma ray detector detects all gamma rays&#x2014;including the nucleus-specific gamma rays. An alpha-gamma timing spectrum is constructed for all detected gamma rays. For a specific energy level (MeV) corresponding with the target material nucleus, a peak in the alpha gamma timing spectrum indicates the presence of the target material. Based on the peaking time of the gamma rays (due to tagged neutrons interaction with the target material nucleus) in the alpha-gamma timing spectrum for the specific energy level, the distance from the neutron generator to the target material can be calculated. The nucleus-specific gamma ray spectrum data can be effectively collimated by programming the system to detect the gamma rays in a time window corresponding to the peaking time.

System and method of using energy correlated timing spectra to locate subsurface objects

The presence of chlorine and nitrogen are determined and measured using a non-invasive portable neutron-generating and gamma ray detecting system(s). Portable devices of the present invention can also be used to detect chlorine and/or nitrogen-containing underground objects rapidly and on-site. Devices and systems described herein can be operated remotely and pre-programmed with search patterns, guided by an operator remotely, or programmed to home in on high-chlorine and/or nitrogen concentration areas.

Methods and systems for non-invasive measurement of soil chlorine and/or nitrogen content and for detecting sub-surface chlorine or nitrogen-containing objects

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Auburn, AL, United States of America

Aleksandr Kavetskiy