Patent ID: 6563898
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: G21K

Abstract:
A method for detecting illicit substances using pulsed neutron detection, comprising:storing a database of response spectra for various elements of interest; irradiating an object with pulsed neutrons to create fast neutron reactions, thermal neutron reactions and neutron activation reactions; generating a spectrum by detecting the gamma rays emitted by said object using a plurality of gamma ray detectors for fast neutron reactions, thermal neutron reactions and neutron activation analysis; accumulating a spectrum of gamma ray photons for each of said reactions; recognizing the individual elements contained in said accumulated spectrum of gamma ray photons; retrieving from a library a response spectra for each of said recognized elements; generating a fitted spectrum by repetitively varying the amounts of each of said retrieved response spectra of each of said recognized elements until said fitted spectrum closely matches said accumulated spectrum.