Patent ID: 7973287
Filing Date: 2011-07-05
Classification: G01T

Abstract:
1. A system for detection of alpha particles generated by a material in proximity to a light atomic weight element, the system comprising: a neutron detector configured to detect a rate of generation of neutrons produced by an (alpha, n) reaction between the material and the light atomic weight element; at least one gamma-ray detector configured to detect a rate of generation of 511 keV gamma rays produced by an annihilation reaction triggered by a positron emission from a daughter product of the light atomic weight element; and a computer or instrument having a comparator configured to detect a difference between the rate of generation of neutrons and rate of generation of 511 keV gamma rays, wherein a presence of an alpha particle generator is indicated if there is substantially no difference between a count rate per unit of the 511 keV gamma rays and a count rate per unit time of the neutrons.