Radioactivity Detection Using Radiation Portal Monitors
Alison Earnhart & Sarah Bender - Class of 2007
This summer Sarah and I worked for the Department of Energy and the Department of Homeland Security at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington State. My research team and I worked on Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM) - machines installed at every border crossing in the U.S. that scan for illicit radioactive material. My team collected data which contributed to detailed computer models of the efficiency with which the RPMs detect radioactive materials. We also experimented with new methods of detecting specific radiation signals to refine the RPMs' detection capabilities.
The best part of this internship was getting to work with world-class scientists at a National Lab and being a part of their groundbreaking research. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, and Juniata College helped me get there.