Unattended Sensor System With CLYC Detectors

We have developed an unattended sensor for detecting anomalous radiation sources. The system combines several technologies to reduce size and weight, increase battery lifetime, and improve decision-making capabilities. Sixteen Cs 2 LiYCl 6 :Ce (CLYC) scintillators allow for gamma-ray spectroscopy and neutron detection in the same volume. Low-power electronics for readout, high voltage bias, and digital processing reduce the total operating power to 1.7 W. Computationally efficient analysis algorithms perform spectral anomaly detection and isotope identification. When an alarm occurs, the system transmits alarm information over a cellular modem. In this paper, we describe the overall design of the unattended sensor, present characterization results, and compare the performance to stock NaI:Tl and 3 He detectors.