Award Data

Gamma-ray spectrometers consisting of inorganic scintillators coupled to optical detectors such as photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) are an important element of the systems that are used to monitor and prevent the spread of special nuclear materials. Two very important requirements for the scintillation detectors used as gamma-ray spectrometers in homeland security monitoring include high sensitivity a ...

The use and applications of radiological sources, for power, medical, and defense applications, continuously increases with time. Illicit nuclear materials represent a threat for the safety of the American citizens and the detection and interdiction of a nuclear weapon is a national problem that has not been yet solved. This represents an enormous challenge to current detection methods and monitor ...

Proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear weapons is a serious threat in the world today. Preventing the spread of nuclear weapons has reached a state of heightened urgency in recent years, especially since the events on September 11, 2001 and its aftermath. One way to passively determine the presence of nuclear weapons is to detect and identify characteristic signatures of ...

Decision makers responding to homeland security incidents must rapidly integrate and manage dynamic, time-sensitive information from many heterogeneous and multimodal information sources. Responders access this information through numerous software applications, all while attempting to collaborate in real-time. Based on the results of our Phase I design effort, we propose to develop and evaluate a ...

Non contact trace explosives detection has not been comparable to results obtained from wipe sampling. Many issues, including finding a method to release particles from a surface, efficient particle and vapor transport, and limited particle and vapor trap collection efficiency have all limited the process. Other related issues have included cost of ownership, ease of contamination removal, and com ...

In this proposal, Kutta capitalizes on existing DOD investments and its own 2D and 3D visualization tools, and leverages the world-renowned computer graphics department at Arizona State University (ASU). This prior work experience and knowledge allows the team to build a resource and asset tracking tool for incident commanders with powerful 2D and 3D visualization capabilities. Kutta and its prest ...

The purpose of this SBIR effort is to commercialize an innovative method for the production of Modumetal™ discrete parts. The Phase I effort has demonstrated: (1) The low-cost production of monolithic parts of various scales using a net-shape (additive) manufacturing process, (2) An new production process in which cost and production volume are decoupled, and (3) Significant improvement in pr ...

NOVA Scientific proposes Phase II development of a solid-state, high-efficiency neutron detection alternative to 3He gas tubes employing neutron-sensitive microchannel plates (MCPs) containing 10B and/or Gd. This program supports the DNDO development of technologies designed to detect and interdict nuclear weapons or illicit nuclear materials. This solid-state neutron detector would permit operati ...

Electron accelerators that produce high duty cycle electron beams with beam energies up to 9 MeV are essential for use in practical Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence and EZ-3DTM imaging technologies. While isotopic identification of shielded materials is now possible via these technologies, it is still necessary to achieve accelerator portability, compactness and reasonable cost of ownership to make ...

The proposed work details a molecular recognition based explosives pre-concentration and sampling system which can be coupled to a wide variety of current and future commercially available sensors. The system works by initially isolating and concentrating specific explosives from a sample stream through a novel, robust and tunable molecular recognition system. The concentrated molecules are rele ...