Date of Award
3-2016
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Physics
First Advisor
Andrew Hirsch
Committee Chair
Andrew Hirsch
Committee Member 1
Marc Caffee
Committee Member 2
Chan Choi
Committee Member 3
Jorge Rodriguez
Abstract
In this dissertation, the design of a system to detect improvised explosive devices is considered. The technique utilized is thermal neutron analysis. In this method, thermal neutrons are used to interrogate a volume for the presence of nitrogen, which is used as an indicator of explosive, given its unusual high energy line in the gamma ray spectrum generated by thermal capture reactions on explosive material. The performance of the system is then considered for a number of devices used to represent an improvised explosive device, including a 155 mm shell, an antitank mine, and a air to surface bomb. The system is shown to be capable of detecting IEDs within between 15.6 and 3800 seconds for HPGe detectors, and within 277 seconds for the best case scenario with NaI while more deeply buried explosives are shown to be undetectable by NaI.
Recommended Citation
Marziale, Matthew David, "Thermal neutron analysis for improvised explosive device detection" (2016). Open Access Dissertations. 676.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/676