Gamma-ray spectroscopy of in-situ SNM with the M{sup 3}CA and a new room-temperature detector

Compact, rugged, efficient, and reliable room-temperature gamma ray detectors with better energy resolution are need for in situ applications. These improved detectors are sought as alternatives to the compact NaI(T1) detectors now available. A promising approach is an elegant new design that benefits fully form the recent advances in solid-state materials technology for production of large, good quality crystals of CdZnTe for room-temperature gamma ray spectroscopy. The new detector, equipped with simple but innovative electrode technology to address intrinsic charge-collection deficiencies, operates with the new self-contained portable gamma spectroscopy system, the miniature modular multichannel analyzer (M{sup 3}CA), without added layers of electronic complexity for pulse processing. Applications of in situ NDA for portable determinations of fixed uranium and plutonium quantities and the continuous assay of dynamic quantities of these materials will provide the test criteria for evaluating the performance of such detectors operating with the M{sup 3}CA