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

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 8; no. 1; p. 15394
• Main Authors: Kim, Dongsung, Yu, Dongho, Sawant, Ashwini, Choe, Mun Seok, Lee, Ingeun, Kim, Sung Gug, Choi, EunMi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 09.05.2017; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/624/400; 639/766/1960; 639/766/25; Charged particles; Gamma rays; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; National security; Nuclear power plants; Plasma; Radiation; Research methodology; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); South Korea
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15394

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. Detection of hazardous radioactive material far from its source is challenging. Here the authors demonstrate a method with higher sensitivity by utilizing high-power pulsed electromagnetic-wave-induced plasma breakdown, which has potential uses in security and defence.