Physics Commons^™

Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning For Radiation Localization, Benjamin Scott Totten

Dissertations and Theses

For the safety of both equipment and human life, it is important to identify the location of orphaned radioactive material as quickly and accurately as possible. There are many factors that make radiation localization a challenging task, such as low gamma radiation signal strength and the need to search in unknown environments without prior information. The inverse-square relationship between the intensity of radiation and the source location, the probabilistic nature of nuclear decay and gamma ray detection, and the pervasive presence of naturally occurring environmental radiation complicates localization tasks. The presence of obstructions in complex environments can further attenuate the …

Efficient Neuromorphic Algorithms For Gamma-Ray Spectrum Denoising And Radionuclide Identification, Merlin Phillip Carson

Dissertations and Theses

Radionuclide detection and identification are important tasks for deterring a potentially catastrophic nuclear event. Due to high levels of background radiation from both terrestrial and extraterrestrial sources, some form of noise reduction pre-processing is required for a gamma-ray spectrum prior to being analyzed by an identification algorithm so as to determine the identity of anomalous sources. This research focuses on the use of neuromorphic algorithms for the purpose of developing low power, accurate radionuclide identification devices that can filter out non-anomalous background radiation and other artifacts created by gamma-ray detector measurement equipment, along with identifying clandestine, radioactive material.

A sparse …

Proximal Policy Optimization For Radiation Source Search, Philippe Erol Proctor

Dissertations and Theses

Rapid localization and search for lost nuclear sources in a given area of interest is an important task for the safety of society and the reduction of human harm. Detection, localization and identification are based upon the measured gamma radiation spectrum from a radiation detector. The nonlinear relationship of electromagnetic wave propagation paired with the probabilistic nature of gamma ray emission and background radiation from the environment leads to ambiguity in the estimation of a source's location. In the case of a single mobile detector, there are numerous challenges to overcome such as weak source activity, multiple sources, or the …

Directional Correlation Of The 346-136 Kev Gamma-Gamma Cascade In Ta¹⁸¹, Robert Allan Wilson

Dissertations and Theses

The directional correlation of the 346-136 Kev gamma-gamma cascade in Ta¹⁸¹ was measured using the delayed coincidence method with a source of Hf¹⁸¹ in 27 N HF. The contributions to the composite delayed coincidence spectrum of the interfering 133-482 Kev and 133-346 Kev cascades were removed by the subtraction from this spectrum of appropriate 133-482 Kev pure delayed coincidence data. The extracted 346-136 Kev coincidence data then yielded the correlation coefficients A₂₂ = 0.190±0.011 and A₄₄. = -0.025±0.024 that are consistent with the established spin sequence 5/2(E2)9/2(M1 + E2)7/2 and with an admixture of 16.2%±1. 2% E2 radiation in the …