SCINTILLATION-CHERENKOV DETECTOR AND METHOD FOR HIGH ENERGY X-RAY CARGO CONTAINER IMAGING AND INDUSTRIAL RADIOGRAPHY

摘要

An inspection system, and corresponding methods, employing a detector for characterizing high energy penetrating radiation transmitted through an inspected object. The detector produces a detector signal that is due to both scintillation and Cherenkov processes. The scintillation and Cherenkov components of the detector signal are discriminated and processed to obtain separate measures of relative attenuation of higher and lower energy penetrating radiation in a target intervening between a source of penetrating radiation and the detector. In certain embodiments of the invention, scintillation and Cherenkov components of a detector signal are discriminated on the basis of distinct spectral features, or, alternatively, by processing temporal characteristics of the signal of a single photodetector.