Radiation Detection With Distributed Sensor Networks

Given the heightened awareness and response to threats posed to national security, it is important to evaluate, and if possible, improve current measures being taken to ensure our nation's safety. With terrorism so prevalent in our thoughts, the possible risk of nuclear attacks remains a major concern. Portal monitors are one type of technology that may be used to combat this risk. Their purpose is to detect nuclear materials and, if found, alert first responders to such a discovery.Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is currently working on an alternative to these costly portal monitors through the Distributed Sensor Network (DSN) project. In collaboration with the University of New Mexico (UNM), this project aims to develop distributed networks of heterogeneous sensors with the ability to process data in-situ in order to produce real-time decisions regarding the presence of radioactive material within the network. The focus of the work described in this paper has been the evaluation of current commercial products available for application deployments, as well as the development of a sensor network in simulation to reduce key deployment issues.