The Optimal Spatiotemporal Deployment of Radiation Portal Monitors Can Improve Detection at Overseas Ports
by Stephen Flynn, Global Resilience Institute
This article studies the ability of Radiation Portal Monitors to reliably detect the presence of fissile material in shipping containers while minimizing port congestion and costs. Specifically, it compares spatial designs from the Hong Kong Container Terminal Operators Association to other schemes with varying effects on crowding and uses for Radiation Portal Monitors. It concludes that designing Radiation Portal Monitors to allow the installation of strategically-placed sensors would approximately double the detection of substances such as highly-enriched uranium and plutonium at ports.