Photon attenuation and neutron moderation correction factors for the inspection of cargo containers with tagged neutrons

The EURopean Illicit TRAfficking Countermeasures Kit (EURITRACK) inspection system uses 14 MeV neutrons produced by the D(T,n α) reaction to detect explosives in cargo containers. Fast-neutron-induced reactions inside the container produce gamma rays, which are detected in coincidence with the associated alpha particle. The definition of the neutron path and the time-of-flight measurement allow positioning the source of the gamma ray inside the container, while the chemical composition of the target material is correlated with the energy spectrum of the coincident gamma rays. However, in case of dense cargo, neutron moderation and photon attenuation inside the container make difficult the reconstruction of the material composition from the measured gamma-ray energy spectrum. An analytical method has been developed and validated against experimental data, which allows obtaining the chemical carbon-to-oxygen and carbon-to-nitrogen ratios of the inspected items from the gamma-ray energy spectra. The principle of the method is presented along with validation tests.