Non-invasive identification of substances with neutrons: status and prospects

In an era of growing armed conflicts and the threat of terrorist attacks, the search for effective methods for detecting and neutralizing hazardous materials is becoming particularly important. They are important not only in the context of protecting the population but also the natural environment. The remains of World War II sunk on the bottom of seas, oceans or rivers pose a serious threat to shipping, and toxic substances contained in some projectiles, e.g. war gases, are a serious ecological problem. In the presentation methods for detecting explosives and other hazardous substances based on techniques used in nuclear physics will be discussed. They enable the non-invasive determination of the stoichiometry of the tested substance and are based on the use of neutrons and spectroscopy of gamma radiation generated as a result of their interaction. This allows for determining not only the shape but also the stoichiometry of the tested objects. Using neutrons is a good alternative or complement to the techniques used so far, and its potential applications also include medicine and industry.