Perspectives of High Pressure Xenon Gamma-Ray Spectrometers to Detect and Identify Radioactive and Fissile Materials

The principal of design and main characteristics of High Pres- sure Xenon (HPXe) gamma-ray detectors for energy range 0.1-5 MeV are described. High energy resolution of HPXe gamma-ray spectrometers (1.5% at 1 MeV) and availability to manufacture these detectors with dif- ferent sensitive volumes (0.2-10 litres) allow to apply them as for station- ary control portals as for portable inspection detectors. In both cases it is possible not only to register presence of radioactive or fissile materials but also to identify the type of these materials. Numerical tests of HPXe spec- trometers and its application to different tasks have demonstrated their per- spectives as an effective instrument to prevent acts of nuclear/radiological terrorism.