Alpha detection as a probe for counter proliferation

An indication of the presence of special nuclear material (SNM) can be obtained by the detection of alpha particles from the decay of the SNM. Current techniques for detecting alpha particles have a number of limitations. Sensitive conventional detection of SNM traces involves off-site laboratory analysis-but at the loss of an on-site confirmation. Fieldable detection instruments, on the other hand, are delicate and have poor sensitivity. New long-range alpha detection (LRAD) technology mitigates these limitations. An LRAD-based instrument relies an the detection of the hundreds of thousands of ions produced in ambient air by one emitted alpha particle. The ions can be transported to an ion detector at a distance much greater than the range of the original alpha particle. The LRAD-based monitors have the characteristics of high sensitivity, fast (real-time) response, ruggedness, and reliability. Many of the designs are quite portable. In this paper, several scenarios are identified for which particular LRAD-based detectors can provide confirmation of proliferation activity