Specialized detection software used to monitor for radiation is not always accessible to countries and organizations that need it. According to Jake Dorin, “Monitoring radiation is critical for a variety of settings. However, specialized radiation detection software is difficult to obtain, either because it is expensive or because its export may be subject to the export controls or regulatory and licensing requirements of the United States or other countries.”
Export controls are generally put into place to protect the economy of the exporting nation, but they can prove to be a challenge for countries with limited resources. Commercial detection systems can also be prohibitively costly.
As part of his Master’s research, Dorin, who worked with Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) Deputy Director Dr. Craig Marianno, attempted to solve this problem by developing a radiation detection software that is free for use and free of export control. This work was supported by a grant from the US Department of Defense’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
“My research,” explained Dorin, “entailed creating a radiation detection system that can evaluate an environment for potentially high levels of radiation and, if it exists, communicate the geo-spatial position and amount of radiation in the relevant area to the program user.”
Dorin’s system consists of the software, a global navigation satellite system, and a multichannel analyzer with scintillation detector. Dorin notes that the system was created with “export control in mind, so that others around the world can also utilize and change the software to their specifications.”
The system was successfully field tested on the Texas A&M campus in July of 2022 and can be mounted in vehicles or worn as a backpack. The software that Dorin created for the project allows for real-time display of the data on a map and further analysis in post-processing.
Prior to joining NSSPI, Dorin earned a B.S. in nuclear engineering with a minor in mathematics and radiological health and safety at Texas A&M University in 2020. He graduated from Texas A&M University in December 2022 with a Master of Science degree in nuclear engineering with a specialization in nuclear nonproliferation. He has since joined the Fluor Marine Propulsion Naval Nuclear Laboratory as an associate compliance engineer.