The advantages of spectrally resolved gamma-ray imaging have previously been demonstrated forthe detection of fissile materials. However, previous results have been obtained with the relativelypoor spectral resolution provided by scintillator-based detectors. In this paper we present a newclass of coded aperture imager based on a position-sensitive germanium detector. The use of thisdetector type provides a factor of 40 improvement in energy resolution which improves the qualityof the images obtained while reducing the integration time required. Tight spectral cuts on knownemission lines allow deeper penetration into highly attenuating objects. In addition, advancedanalysis techniques can provide information on overlying material through the application ofspatially resolved gamma-gauging. We describe the imager, present simulations of its capabilitiesand the first characterizations of a prototype detector.
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