Remote detection of radioactive materials via Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering

Abstract

A sensible nonlinear optical method for remote detection of small quantities of radioactive materials such as deuterium, plutonium, uranium-235, uranium enriched in the isotopes of uranium-233 or uranium-235 with concentration >1 ppb at distances greater than 100 m is proposed. The proposed method is based on remote sensing of the chemo-nuclear by-products(O₃, HNO₃, HO₂NO₂, and NO₂ with the molar fractions ~ 5 10^-7, 3 10^-7, 2 10^-7 and 4 10^-7 correspondingly, produced by gamma and neutron radiation interacting with the surrounding atmosphere. The possibility of Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) registration from specific trace gases is discussed.