https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04377-4
Regular Article
Monte Carlo simulations of the underwater detection of illicit war remnants with neutron-based sensors
1
Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348, Cracow, Poland
2
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska 60, 01033, Kyiv, Ukraine
3
Military Institute of Armoured and Automotive Technology, 05-070, Sulejowek, Poland
4
Department of Physics, University of Lucknow, 226007, Lucknow, India
5
Center for Theranostics, Jagiellonian University, 31-348, Cracow, Poland
Received:
1
July
2023
Accepted:
12
August
2023
Published online:
25
August
2023
In recent years, the demand for accurate detection and identification of hazardous substances in an aquatic environment, especially in the Baltic Sea, has seen a significant rise, with a specific focus on unexploded ordnance (UXO) containing conventional explosives and various chemical agents, including, but not limited to, mustard gas, Clark I and II and other lethal compounds. These substances pose a significant threat to human health and the environment, and their identification is crucial for effective demining and environmental protection efforts. In this article, a novel approach for fast, remote, and non-destructive recognition of dangerous substances based on a SABAT sensor installed on an ROV is described. The performance of the proposed neutron-based sensor in an aquatic environment was verified based on a series of Monte Carlo simulations for mustard gas, Clark I and II, and TNT, as they are the most common chemical threats at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The sensor’s ability to accurately discriminate hazardous and non-hazardous materials is described in the paper in terms of the ratio of chlorine to hydrogen (Cl/H), carbon to oxygen (C/O), and nitrogen to hydrogen (N/H) activation lines integrals. The authors also discussed the future directions of work to validate SABAT (Stoichiometry Analysis By Activation Techniques) sensors in the operational environment.
© The Author(s) 2023
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