1. Radiation Detection, Incident Response Technology, and Commercialization Mark Rowland Lawrence Livermore National laboratory

2. How to think about the functional objectives: Indications and Warnings Shielding works, therefore if no signal is collected, there will be no useful indications. –Corollary: Bad things can emit well below the typical hand-held sensitivity limit. –Everything is radioactive. Since short dwell, hand-held, low-resolution instruments misidentify, plan to use them to find sources, assess dose levels, and collect spectra that will be sent to Triage (CZT, LaBr, CsI, NaI, fibers) –For dose, get 1000 R/hr dynamic range and a He-3 neutron detector –For collecting spectra, get 8MeV dynamic range and plan to count for “15” min Plan CONOP/training to accomplish everything except immediate ID Plan for close proximity Larger, low-resolution instruments, used for longer range search, ID no better than the hand-held models. Data quality, proximity, and time are still required for ID (Triage). –Detection ranges can increase >3X –While unusual for a large search instrument to dwell, it should be a required function With high resolution instruments (HPGe) you get reliable ID as long as you order the correct library (the vendors are not reliable). –The physics of proximity still apply, demanding >5-sigma count sums per peak Long dwell gamma-ray (HPGe) and neutron detectors are required to prove a negative –“open and look” is not a good idea since this may trigger a trap Gamma-Ray Imaging is a long dwell modality –RDD’s do not need long dwell Identification software should be required to admit the legitimate points of confusion –Since only the two weapons labs have this knowledge (by statute), ID software should be tied to the labs

3. Tech development history leading to a specific example of new technology 1990- Instruments were generally designed for laboratory research, personnel protection, or ideal circumstances As the DHS appears, all vendors greatly increase their gross sensitivity to aid in finding radioactive material. –First responders discover that everything is radioactive –Gross sensitivity increases become a nuisance –ID is promised, but fails without understanding of the threat 2000- National Triage/Reachback program offers free, real-time support –We answer thousands of calls over 5 years –Commercial instruments have serious problems 50 file formats –Example: NaI, LaBr, CZT, CSI identifiers always report “something” –1000 gamma-rays with an ability to distinguish 30 because of resolution 35 years of attempts to make high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer fail to provide a battery powered, real-time instrument, that ID’s correctly. –DOE/LLNL delivered, with at least 5 years of monopoly.

4. A structure exists to get new technologies from the DOE national laboratories LLNL publishes a Federal business opportunity (FBO) where companies are invited to examine selected technology offerings –Not intended to be limiting, but without knowing what industry is willing to invest in (market willingness to invest), LLNL does not know what to offer. –Too many times the technical staff imagines a benefit and the FBO fails to generate a license –If a company were to ask the tech transfer office for a method to fill a need, this is allowed, but fails because the tech transfer office is staffed by licensing specialists, not technologists. –An FBO is not required. If a company fishes successfully, this satisfies the fairness of opportunity requirement since all companies are allowed to fish at any time. Simple fishing is not adequate and given the classification limitations, companies benefit from an inside connection.

5. Licensing a Technology Once a technology is identified, the company negotiates a fee to get a license to commercially exploit and benefit from proprietary information. –Know-how is not licensed. Patents, schematics, software, manuals, copyrights are licensed. LLNL restricts publication of this material. Hand-holding may happen for a short duration, but is not unlimited free consulting. –If there were a broad interest in some technology, the government may exploit the technology, also. Usually, if a company has a license, then commercial production should satisfy any government needs –A CRADA (cooperative research project) may be funded by a company, as a way to get more technical support from the Lab. –Maturity of a technology is a big issue. Even the most turnkey items are not. A company may not know why we want something commercialized A company may think they know the customer better than LLNL A company may think they know how to build an adequate product –A better procedure would be for technology that the government wants transferred, that the Lab engage in a QA process (buy SN-1 for test) Engineers find it difficult to balance engineering upgrades with producing a product

6. A sampler of what is available Immature pieces (It would be good to have a discussion of vendor plans) Software (detection and ID algorithms), detector designs/configurations (feature sets) that address government needs Functions that make technical sense for search –Search capability can be maximized. –ID should be thought of as filtering background, with data collected for a specialist to look at (Triage) Dose and mapping for high Dose ranges. –Quick response time and provides Triage with high-range data Active interrogation with neutrons Long Range detection. –Mechanically cooled (80%) HPGe with new algorithms are 10x better –Low resolution search using ID for background rejection –Gamma-ray camera