Our universe offers a natural and unique laboratory to test particle acceleration theories and pave the way towards understanding the violent processes happening in the universe. Gamma ray astronomy has always been at the forefront of unravelling these mysteries. Ground-based imaging telescopes rely on detecting faint, fleeting flashes of Cherenkov light produced when gamma rays interact with...
Non-destructive inspection systems are essential for preventing terrorist threats and the smuggling of special nuclear materials (SNM) at airports and seaports. For decades, investigating SNMs such as Pu-239 and U-235 has been a primary concern of nuclear security efforts worldwide. This work presents experimental results from a novel, portable active interrogation system for the...
The automatic detection and identification of gamma-ray spectra are essential for the deployment of radioactive threat detection networks in urban environments. The Sigma dataset, comprising 1.5 billion gamma-ray spectra collected across London, highlights the necessity of automated systems, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), to efficiently analyse vast amounts of spectral data and...
The AntiMatter-OTech (AM-OTech) project, funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is a pioneering initiative in nuclear security and reactor diagnostics. Led by a collaboration of European academic institutions and EDF, AM-OTech explores the use of antineutrinos from nuclear fission as a non-intrusive, real-time probe for monitoring industrial...
The detection of concealed neutron sources is imperative for nuclear security as neutrons can signify the presence of fissile material. Neutron sensors with positional and directional sensitivity can greatly improve detection capabilities through source localisation. However, the cost of existing detection systems has limited their widespread use. We are proposing a new, low-cost type of...
Thin film (TF) metal halide perovskites are an emerging technology that are a promising material for use as radiation detectors, with potential for use as large-area imaging detectors. However, current solution-processing methods face challenges in achieving thick and uniform perovskite films. Vacuum-based deposition techniques can produce high quality uniform films but this approach has not...
The global demand for portable neutron detection is on the rise for security, monitoring and scientific investigations [1]. Practical uses could include deploying advanced radiological and nuclear detection capabilities at border points, as monitors around small modular reactors for energy or centres for medical radioisotope production, or directly as part of a scientific analysis package....
Interest surrounding the development of perovskite-based radiation detectors has largely emerged due to promising applications as an alternative or complementary candidate to silicon in solar cells. Such detectors can detect ionising radiation via both indirect scintillation and direct charge production mechanisms. The perovskite family encompasses a range of molecular combinations to make up...
The ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT); increasingly cheap, accessible, and available data storage volumes; greater data/sensor readout rates and the ability to access data remotely from anywhere in the world has resulted in “Big Data” - serving as a backbone upon which both modern Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) reside. Like the multi-decade-long exponential growth in...
Using a multidisciplinary background ranging from chemistry, materials science and condensed matter through to instrument development for particle physics, our group has developed novel capabilities in radiation detection and sensing that may be relevant for civil nuclear and nuclear security applications. We summarise these developments and reflect on the journey taken from a fundamental...
Within the nuclear industry the ability to effectively map and estimate the activity of radiological sources is paramount to ensuring that facilities remain safe, hazardous material is kept secure, and that trust in the nuclear sector from the general public remains high. Activity quantification and source localisation has uses in a wide range of security applications from border security to...
Inspection of nuclear assets and structures is fundamental towards security in the nuclear industry, where the use of sensor technologies can play a key role in the early detection of corrosion, leaks, degradation, defects or other anomalies, reducing nuclear threat and enhancing safety. However, deploying and operating sensors within the nuclear industry presents significant barriers. One...
Short-lived, highly radioactive materials, such as plutonium, are prevalent in the nuclear industry. These substances, often alpha emitters, pose significant detection challenges as alpha particles travel only a few centimeters in air, depending on their energy. Despite their limited range, these materials are extremely hazardous; if ingested or inhaled, they can cause serious health risks,...
Thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) enables the measurement of ionising radiation exposure by analysing the light emitted from an irradiated material after heating. This technique provides a retrospective assessment of absorbed radiation doses, which is particularly useful in health monitoring. Thermoluminescence (TL), or emitted light, is a result of trapped electron re-combination and is...
The LiquidO Consortium is bringing a novel approach to particle detection by using opaque scintillator to achieve self-segmentation down to the millimetre scale. Opacity via short scattering length stochastically confines scintillation photons close to the point of production and arrays of wavelength-shifting fibres trap and transmit the light to silicon photomultipliers.
At Sussex, we use...
The National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is capable of producing a plasma environment with temperatures ~10 keV, particle densities ~10^32 m^-3, and neutron fluxes of up to 10^34 m^-2 s^-1. These features, combined with the advanced x-ray, neutron and radiochemistry diagnostics that are available at the NIF, make it uniquely suitable for carrying out...
This study investigates the fundamental performance of perovskite scintillators for X-ray and gamma imaging, with a particular focus on their potential applications in nuclear security detection. By combining unique structural and optoelectronic properties, these materials offer promising prospects for developing next-generation radiation detection technologies, aligning with the goal to...
Illegal transport of Special Nuclear Materials (SNMs) is regarded as a major terrorist risk. These SNMs are difficult to detect at border controls because their gamma emissions are typically weak, low energy, and therefore easily shielded. Since their neutron emissions are more difficult to shield, they could be more suitable to assist with detection of SNMs. However, the levels of neutron...
There is significant interest in developing cost-effective radiation detectors with particle identification capabilities for both fundamental research and industrial applications. While high-resolution detectors can distinguish alpha, beta, and gamma rays, identifying neutrons remains a major challenge. Quantum dots, an emerging technology with diverse potential applications, including...
We present a radioactive source localisation method within confined pipework using dual, low-volume, low-cost scintillator detectors. The proximity of cooling circuit pipework to operating nuclear reactor cores makes the pipe material susceptible to neutron activation (e.g. 60Co). This can create unknown volumes of radwastes that need to be characterised to plan for decommissioning. The...
Nuclear reactors generate large fluxes of anti-neutrinos. The weakly interacting neutrinos possess the remarkable ability to traverse extensive distances without interacting with matter. This unique characteristic holds the potential to enable remote monitoring of reactors from hundreds of kilometres, thereby serving as a potent tool for nuclear non-proliferation.
The low light yield...
