Detection System of the First Rapidly Relocatable Tagged Neutron Inspection System (RRTNIS), Developed in the Framework of the European H2020 C-BORD Project

TLDR

The C‑BORD project aims to develop a cost‑effective, non‑intrusive inspection solution for EU border containers, addressing threats such as explosives, chemical warfare agents, illicit drugs, tobacco, and special nuclear materials. The project seeks to introduce the first Rapidly Relocatable Tagged Neutron Inspection System (RRTNIS) for cargo containers. RRTNIS functions as a second‑line defense, interrogating sealed containers to detect explosives, illicit drugs, and chemical agents within suspect voxels. The report details the system’s current status, including overall design, large‑volume NaI(Tl) gamma‑detector characterization, digital time‑measurement analysis, and the data‑acquisition system.

Abstract

The European project entitled "effective Container inspection at BORDer control points" (C-BORD) focuses on the development and in-situ tests of a comprehensive cost-effective solution for the generalized Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) of containers and large-volume freight at the European Union (EU) border. It copes with a large range of targets, including explosives, chemical warfare agents, illicit drugs, tobacco and Special Nuclear Materials. Within the C-BORD project, a new generation of Tagged Neutron Inspection System (TNIS) for cargo containers is foreseen. Unlike its predecessors, this system would be the first Rapidly Relocatable TNIS (RRTNIS). It will be a second-line defense system, to be used on sealed containers in order to detect explosives, illicit drugs and chemical agents in a suspect voxel (elementary volume unit). We report on the status of the RRTNIS system, in particular the overall design, the characterization of the large-volume NaI(Tl) gamma detectors, the digital analysis of the time measurements and the Data Acquisition System (DAQ).