RE: Portable gamma spectroscopy

["Edwards, Richard W" <richard.w.edwards@BOEING.COM>]

One of these days I'll learn how to phrase a question that doesn't raise

more questions than answers. Which is not to say that I haven't gotten some

good answers already. However, several people have questioned what we are

trying to do. So...



Like many organizations post-9/11, we're reviewing our security

arrangements. In this case, we're looking into what to do after an entry

gate or portal monitor alarms, alerting us to a radioactive source coming in

on a vehicle, in a package or on an person. One possibility under

investigation is to equip the security personnel with some device that gives

them a limited capability to identify the nuclides involve which they could

compare to a list of common medical and industrial isotopes. This would give

them the ability to "clear" some alarms without activating the entire

anti-terrorism response...whatever that is.



The group that is looking into this asked me for some advice in finding an

instrument that would allow them to do this. As I have no experience with

the kinds of portable systems that they would find useful, I thought I would

try to augment my ability to weed through manufacturer literature and

presentations with some personal experience of others. Thus my question to

Radsafe



I believe that the key factors will turn out to be: ease of use by security

staff, portability and cost. The ability to quantify activity, detect low

levels in a short period of time, or differentiate uncommon nuclides are not

required and may not be desirable. Certainly any system that requires a

trained spectroscopist or substantial outlay of time and money to maintain

in the field will be excluded.



Thanks to everyone who has already replied.



Rick Edwards, Analyst

The Boeing Company

richard.w.edwards@boeing.com

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