Development of a radiation detection system for the prevention of illicit trafficking of special nuclear materials and radiation sources

A comprehensive analysis of a novel dual-mode radiation detection system developed for preventing illicit trafficking of special nuclear materials and radioactive sources is presented. The system combines EJ-200 and EJ-426HD plastic scintillators with silicon photomultipliers to simultaneously detect gamma/beta radiation and neutrons, designed for integration with unmanned aerial vehicles and handheld operation. Through extensive experimental validation and comparative analysis against established detection methods, the system demonstrates superior performance across multiple evaluation criteria including localization accuracy, detection time, and cost-effectiveness.