Non invasive illicit substances detection with slow neutrons: a feasibility study towards practical application

The growing scale of the devastation which can be caused by even a single terrorist attack requires more effective methods for the detection of hazardous materials. In particular, there are no solutions for effective monitoring of threats at sea, both for the off-shore infrastructure and ports. Currently, the state-of-the-art methods of detection provide the determination of the density distribution and the shapes of tested subjects but do not allow for exact identification. The aim of this proposal is to conduct a feasibility study of the possible subsequent usage of several methods available on VESUVIO to detect illicit substances. We plan to perform a series of measurements using the VESUVIO spectrometer using surrogates of the explosives and drugs to determine their signal characteristics and limits of detection and quantitation.