IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v8y2017i1d10.1038_ncomms15394.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Remote detection of radioactive material using high-power pulsed electromagnetic radiation

Author

Listed:
  • Dongsung Kim

    (School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Dongho Yu

    (School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Ashwini Sawant

    (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Mun Seok Choe

    (School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Ingeun Lee

    (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Sung Gug Kim

    (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology)

  • EunMi Choi

    (School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology)

Abstract

Remote detection of radioactive materials is impossible when the measurement location is far from the radioactive source such that the leakage of high-energy photons or electrons from the source cannot be measured. Current technologies are less effective in this respect because they only allow the detection at distances to which the high-energy photons or electrons can reach the detector. Here we demonstrate an experimental method for remote detection of radioactive materials by inducing plasma breakdown with the high-power pulsed electromagnetic waves. Measurements of the plasma formation time and its dispersion lead to enhanced detection sensitivity compared to the theoretically predicted one based only on the plasma on and off phenomena. We show that lower power of the incident electromagnetic wave is sufficient for plasma breakdown in atmospheric-pressure air and the elimination of the statistical distribution is possible in the presence of radioactive material.

Suggested Citation

  • Dongsung Kim & Dongho Yu & Ashwini Sawant & Mun Seok Choe & Ingeun Lee & Sung Gug Kim & EunMi Choi, 2017. "Remote detection of radioactive material using high-power pulsed electromagnetic radiation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-9, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15394
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15394
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15394
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms15394?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15394. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.