Noble Gas Scintillation-Based Radiation Portal Monitors and Active Interrogation Systems

Noble gas scintillation detectors (NGSD) combine good scintillation properties such as high light yields and good energy resolution with cost-effective scalability to large detector masses. A unique capability of noble gas scintillators is outstanding discrimination between electron recoils (gamma-like events) and nuclear recoils (n-like events) down to low energy deposits of the order of tens of keVs. This capability allows the construction of fast neutron detectors with good timing capability. This work points out the potential advantages of using NGSDs for Homeland Security applications such as portal monitoring or active interrogation.