[ RadSafe ] New U detector

[Peter Bossew]

Does anybody know technical details of this machine ?
Experiences ? Opinions ?

thanks,
Peter

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> New detector can sniff out even low levels of gamma radiation
>
> By ANI on Tuesday, August 19, 2008
> Filed Under: Health News 
>
> London, August 19 (ANI): Scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National
> Laboratory in California have produced a new detector sensitive even to low
> levels of gamma radiation. 
>
> US shipping ports receive about 6 million cargo containers each year.
> Officials would like to be able to check each one for smuggled nuclear
> material, but today’s detectors cannot process such numbers in a reasonable
> time. 
>
> These devices typically require an officer to search inside each container.
>
> The gamma rays produced by radioactive materials can pass through
> containers relatively easily, but uranium produces only small amounts of
> such radiation.
>
> Now, according to a report in New Scientist, Joseph Farmer and colleagues
> at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have produced a
> new detector sensitive even to low levels of gamma radiation. 
>
> Their device is set to speed up screening times.
>
> It doesn’t directly detect gamma rays themselves, but instead looks for the
> hydrogen peroxide generated when the rays interact with water.
>
> The detector consists of an “electronic nose” chip coated with a thin layer
> of water that is condensed onto its surface. When gamma rays strike water
> molecules in that layer, the nose chip detects any hydrogen peroxide formed.
>
> According to the inventors, as well as being more sensitive, their design
> can pick up a wider range of gamma ray energies than conventional
> detectors. (ANI)
>   

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-----------------------------------------------------
Peter Bossew 

European Commission (EC) 
Joint Research Centre (JRC) 
Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) 

TP 441, Via Fermi 1 
21020 Ispra (VA) 
ITALY 
  
Tel. +39 0332 78 9109 
Fax. +39 0332 78 5466 
Email: peter.bossew at jrc.it 

http://rem.jrc.ec.europa.eu/
  
"The views expressed are purely those of the writer and may not in any
circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European
Commission."