Giving DHS a Crystal Ball

Powerful crystals seem more the province of video games or fantasy novels, but researchers at Wake Forest and Fisk universities are aiming to bring the objects’ mystique to bolster the country’s national security.

Researchers at Fisk and other laboratories have recently discovered that when crystals of the compound strontium iodide are “doped” with traces of the rare Earth element europium, they detect and analyze radiation better than most other “scintillators” –materials that emit light as a result of being hit by radiation – according to Richard Williams, a physics professor at Wake Forest University. He and other researchers at the university just received a grant to pursue further study on the radiation-detecting capabilities of these scintillators, as they’re called.

The researchers will use a high-speed laser to model the crystal’s radiation-detecting capabilities to determine the configuration at which the material can best detect radiation – that is, the point at which it has the greatest resolution.

By doing so, they are hoping to improve the quality of radiation detection available at a lower price point. Sodium iodide with thallium, for example, is relatively cheap and widely used, but it does a poor job of identifying substances. Germanium, on the other end of the scale, is highly accurate but outrageously expensive.

“We are optimistic that strontium iodide with europium can be developed to provide resolution close to high-purity germanium at a cost close to sodium iodide with thallium – the best of both worlds,” Williams said.

Williams is aiming for a lower cost because he envisions that the device that results from his research could be put to use for national security purposes, screening incoming cargo and people at ports, borders and airports for the radiation that could give away a potentially deadly plot.

Currently, detectors’ have a limited ability to pick up weak signals that result from trace amounts of radioactive material or from larger quantities located far away from detectors. A higher-resolution scintillator such as the once the Wake Forest team aims to enable would make this possible.

But transportation isn’t the only industry that the improved detection technology could secure. “The idea that someday our research might lead to wheeling up a large crystal outside a nuclear reactor and evaluating detailed conditions inside from afar – with potentially minimal human intervention – could have huge implications on how we deal with radiation threats in the future,” Williams said.

In the wake of the meltdown of Japan’s Fukushima reactor, this would be welcome news to those who work around nuclear plants.

The greater detection ability could also have some applications in the medical field, improving procedures that involve keeping track of where drugs and compounds are concentrated and used in the body.

“Future experiments can benefit from better scintillators,” Williams said. “The possibilities are numerous.”

About the Author

Laura Williams is content development editor for Security Products magazine.

Featured

  • AI to Help Resolve Non-Emergency Calls Across Utah and Decrease 911 Caller Wait Times

    The Utah Communications Authority (UCA), which oversees the state’s next generation 911 technology services, recently announced that public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state plan to implement Motorola Solutions’ Virtual Response technology to automate the receipt and resolution of 10-digit non-emergency line calls in Utah with the help of AI. Read Now

  • Report Reveals Local Governments Face Surge in Ransomware Attacks with Minimal Resources

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, recently released new research highlighting the critical cybersecurity challenges facing state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. The report details how government organizations have become prime targets for cybercriminals while simultaneously facing severe resource constraints. Read Now

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.