{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/121648"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/121648","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Using a superconducting cyclotron to detect special nuclear material through multiple monoenergetic gamma radiography and o-axis photon scattering/","abstract":"This thesis reports on using a superconducting compact proton cyclotron to conduct multiple monoenergetic gamma radiography (MMGR) and measure o-axis photon scattering to nd special nuclear material (SNM). The cyclotron is a small enough accelerator to be a viable option for scanning commercial cargo containers at maritime ports, airports, rail crossings, and other places of interest. This research presents a technique for reconstructing the eective atomic number (Z) and areal density ([rho][subscript A]) of cargo mock-ups using MMGR with the cyclotron, analyzes the sensitivity of the reconstruction technique, and applies the technique to experimental data. However, single-axis radiography is prone to hoaxing by smugglers. It is relatively trivial to make high-Z material such as SNM look like an innocuous, lower-Z material, such as iron, by surrounding the high-Z material with low-Z material like polyethylene or aluminum. To secure MMGR from this risk of hoaxing, this research presents the use of large angle photon scatter ([theta] = 125°) in cargo to gain additional information on its atomic number. The MMGR technique is found to be able to resolve materials of Z < 70 and uranium (Z = 92); however, the technique has difficulty resolving lead from uranium. Off-axis photon scattering is found to contain Z-specfic information in Monte Carlo simulations, but experimental results are inconclusive.","abstract_html":"This thesis reports on using a superconducting compact proton cyclotron to conduct multiple monoenergetic gamma radiography (MMGR) and measure o-axis photon scattering to nd special nuclear material (SNM). The cyclotron is a small enough accelerator to be a viable option for scanning commercial cargo containers at maritime ports, airports, rail crossings, and other places of interest. This research presents a technique for reconstructing the eective atomic number (Z) and areal density ([rho][subscript A]) of cargo mock-ups using MMGR with the cyclotron, analyzes the sensitivity of the reconstruction technique, and applies the technique to experimental data. However, single-axis radiography is prone to hoaxing by smugglers. It is relatively trivial to make high-Z material such as SNM look like an innocuous, lower-Z material, such as iron, by surrounding the high-Z material with low-Z material like polyethylene or aluminum. To secure MMGR from this risk of hoaxing, this research presents the use of large angle photon scatter ([theta] = 125°) in cargo to gain additional information on its atomic number. The MMGR technique is found to be able to resolve materials of Z &lt; 70 and uranium (Z = 92); however, the technique has difficulty resolving lead from uranium. Off-axis photon scattering is found to contain Z-specfic information in Monte Carlo simulations, but experimental results are inconclusive.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Nelson, Roberts Grafton."],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Master","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Areg Danagoulian."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018","date_published":"2018","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:18Z","subjects":["Nuclear Science and Engineering."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/121648","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Areg Danagoulian."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/121648"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.","Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2018","Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (pages 105-107)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis reports on using a superconducting compact proton cyclotron to conduct multiple monoenergetic gamma radiography (MMGR) and measure o-axis photon scattering to nd special nuclear material (SNM). The cyclotron is a small enough accelerator to be a viable option for scanning commercial cargo containers at maritime ports, airports, rail crossings, and other places of interest. This research presents a technique for reconstructing the eective atomic number (Z) and areal density ([rho][subscript A]) of cargo mock-ups using MMGR with the cyclotron, analyzes the sensitivity of the reconstruction technique, and applies the technique to experimental data. However, single-axis radiography is prone to hoaxing by smugglers. It is relatively trivial to make high-Z material such as SNM look like an innocuous, lower-Z material, such as iron, by surrounding the high-Z material with low-Z material like polyethylene or aluminum. To secure MMGR from this risk of hoaxing, this research presents the use of large angle photon scatter ([theta] = 125°) in cargo to gain additional information on its atomic number. The MMGR technique is found to be able to resolve materials of Z < 70 and uranium (Z = 92); however, the technique has difficulty resolving lead from uranium. Off-axis photon scattering is found to contain Z-specfic information in Monte Carlo simulations, but experimental results are inconclusive."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.M."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Using a superconducting cyclotron to detect special nuclear material through multiple monoenergetic gamma radiography and o-axis photon scattering/"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Areg Danagoulian."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering","NucEng"],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering."],"dc:creator":["Nelson, Roberts Grafton."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2019-07-15T20:30:49Z"],"dc:date.available":["2019-07-15T20:30:49Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2018"],"dc:description":["This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.","Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2018","Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (pages 105-107)."],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis reports on using a superconducting compact proton cyclotron to conduct multiple monoenergetic gamma radiography (MMGR) and measure o-axis photon scattering to nd special nuclear material (SNM). The cyclotron is a small enough accelerator to be a viable option for scanning commercial cargo containers at maritime ports, airports, rail crossings, and other places of interest. This research presents a technique for reconstructing the eective atomic number (Z) and areal density ([rho][subscript A]) of cargo mock-ups using MMGR with the cyclotron, analyzes the sensitivity of the reconstruction technique, and applies the technique to experimental data. However, single-axis radiography is prone to hoaxing by smugglers. It is relatively trivial to make high-Z material such as SNM look like an innocuous, lower-Z material, such as iron, by surrounding the high-Z material with low-Z material like polyethylene or aluminum. To secure MMGR from this risk of hoaxing, this research presents the use of large angle photon scatter ([theta] = 125°) in cargo to gain additional information on its atomic number. The MMGR technique is found to be able to resolve materials of Z < 70 and uranium (Z = 92); however, the technique has difficulty resolving lead from uranium. Off-axis photon scattering is found to contain Z-specfic information in Monte Carlo simulations, but experimental results are inconclusive."],"dc:description.degree":["S.M."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/121648"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Nuclear Science and Engineering."],"dc:title":["Using a superconducting cyclotron to detect special nuclear material through multiple monoenergetic gamma radiography and o-axis photon scattering/"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:18Z"}