Identification of the unknown shielding parameters with gamma-ray spectrum using a derivative-free inverse radiation transport model

Identifying the unknown geometric and material information of a multi-shield object by analyzing the radiation signature measurements is always an important problem in national and global security. In order to identify the unknown shielding layer thicknesses of a source/shield system with gamma-ray spectra, we have developed a derivative-free inverse radiation transport model based on a differential evolution algorithm with global and local neighbourhoods (IRT-DEGL). In the present paper, the IRT-DEGL model is further extended for estimating the unknown thicknesses with random initial guesses and material mass densities of multi-shielding layers as well as their combinations. Using the detected gamma-ray spectra, the illustration of inverse studies is implemented and the main influence factors for inverse results are also analyzed.