Los Alamos National Security, LLC

Decision Sciences International Corporation

Konstantin N Borozdin

Christopher L Morris

Michael James Sossong

Larry Joe Schultz

Alexei V Klimenko

Gary Blanpied

J Andrew Green

Nicolas Hengartner

Alexander Saunders

Andrew Mcleod Fraser

Mark F Makela

Richard A Smith

James M Colthart

William Priedhorsky

Gary E Scoggins

David C Vineyard

Kolo Wamba

David C Klugh

Jesse Andrew Green

Edward Casteel Milner

Gary E Hogan

Haruo Miyadera

John Christopher Orum

John Oliver Perry

Vladimir Tumakov

Nicolas W Hengartner

Systems, devices and methods for inspecting and imaging of contents of a volume is disclosed. One implementation of the disclosed systems, devices and methods includes an apparatus for inspecting and imaging of contents of a volume of interest which includes a first particle tracking unit of detectors to receive incoming charged particles that transit through an object and to measure position and direction of the charged particles that transit through the object while allowing the charged particles to pass through, and a second particle tracking unit of detectors installed relative to the first particle tracking unit of detectors and to the volume of interest containing the object of inspection so that it is positioned to receive the outgoing charged particles that transit through the first particle tracking unit and transit through the object of inspection and to measure a position and a direction of the outgoing charged particles. The apparatus also includes a processor that processes information from the first and second particle tracking units of detectors to yield an estimate of a spatial map of atomic number and a density of the object. The methods disclosed here include triggering algorithms for signal selection, positional calibration algorithms for locating particle tracking units in absolute three dimensional coordinate space, and three-dimensional tomographic image reconstruction algorithms combining the tracking information from multiple pairs of particle tracking units.

System of mobile charged particle detectors and methods of spent nuclear fuel imaging

Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for non-invasive monitoring and imaging of nuclear fuel inside a nuclear reactor using muon detector arrays. In one aspect, these detector arrays are placed outside the reactor vessel or building for investigating the reactors without access to the cores, therefore the imaging process is non-invasive. In some implementation, these detector arrays measure both muon scattering and absorption to enable imaging and characterizing not only the very high-Z fuel materials, but also other materials in the reactor, thereby obtaining a more complete picture of reactor status. When applied to damaged reactors, the disclosed proposed techniques, systems, and devices, through the process of providing an image, can reveal the presence (or absence) of damage to fuel rod assemblies or puddles of molten fuel at the bottom of the containment vessel, thus providing crucial information to guide decisions about remedial actions.

Non-invasive in-situ imaging of interior of nuclear reactors

Systems and methods for charged particle detection including statistical reconstruction of object volume scattering density profiles from charged particle tomographic data to determine the probability distribution of charged particle scattering using a statistical multiple scattering model and determine a substantially maximum likelihood estimate of object volume scattering density using expectation maximization (ML/EM) algorithm to reconstruct the object volume scattering density. The presence of and/or type of object occupying the volume of interest can be identified from the reconstructed volume scattering density profile. The charged particle tomographic data can be cosmic ray muon tomographic data from a muon tracker for scanning packages, containers, vehicles or cargo. The method can be implemented using a computer program which is executable on a computer.

Robust statistical reconstruction for charged particle tomography

Techniques, apparatus and systems for obtaining tomographic images of a volume of interest by using charged particle tomography detection systems.

Imaging based on cosmic-ray produced charged particles

Techniques, apparatus and systems for detecting particles such as muons for imaging applications. Subtraction techniques are described to enhance the processing of the muon tomography data.

Imaging and sensing based on muon tomography

Methods, apparatus and systems for detecting charged particles and obtaining tomography of a volume by measuring charged particles including measuring the momentum of a charged particle passing through a charged particle detector. Sets of position sensitive detectors measure scattering of the charged particle. The position sensitive detectors having sufficient mass to cause the charged particle passing through the position sensitive detectors to scatter in the position sensitive detectors. A controller can be adapted and arranged to receive scattering measurements of the charged particle from the charged particle detector, determine at least one trajectory of the charged particle from the measured scattering; and determine at least one momentum measurement of the charged particle from the at least one trajectory. The charged particle can be a cosmic ray-produced charged particle, such as a cosmic ray-produced muon. The position sensitive detectors can be drift cells, such as gas-filled drift tubes.

Measuring momentum for charged particle tomography

A portal monitoring system has a cosmic ray charged particle tracker with a plurality of drift cells. The drift cells, which can be for example aluminum drift tubes, can be arranged at least above and below a volume to be scanned to thereby track incoming and outgoing charged particles, such as cosmic ray muons, whilst also detecting gamma rays. The system can selectively detect devices or materials, such as iron, lead, gold and/or tungsten, occupying the volume from multiple scattering of the charged particles passing through the volume and can also detect any radioactive sources occupying the volume from gamma rays emitted therefrom. If necessary, the drift tubes can be sealed to eliminate the need for a gas handling system. The system can be employed to inspect occupied vehicles at border crossings for nuclear threat objects.

Radiation portal monitor system and method

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Los Alamos, NM, United States of America

Konstantin N Borozdin