Use of nearly monochromatic and tunable photon sources with nuclear resonance fluorescence in non-intrusive inspection of containers for material detection and imaging

摘要

A method for detecting a potential item of interest in a target sample, the method comprising:a) providing a source of photons (12) with an energy spectrum that overlaps a nuclear resonance in the item of interest and wherein the source photons are generated by Compton scattering of photons by electrons;b) illuminating the target sample (20,22) with photons from the source;c) providing at least one photon detector (38,40) to measure an intensity of photons scattered from at least a portion the target sample in at least one energy channel; andd) identifying an item of interest detection event if the intensity of photons detected in at least one of the at least one energy channels of interest meets a predetermined item of interest detection criterion.