Application of Principal Component Analysis in Non-Destructive Analysis

Not only fissile materials but also trace elements which have large cross sections and light elements, can be determined using the prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) method. In PGNAA, the excited nuclei caused by an irradiation of the neutrons emit characteristic gamma rays of the object's elements, and the elemental signals are collected by detector arrays. The collected gamma spectra are applied to a principal component analysis (PCA) to increase the signal-to- noise ratio and then to discriminate the illicit materials from the innocuous materials. The PCA results and the high penetration ability of the neutron and gamma rays contribute to reducing the probability of a false alarm for the determination of the presence of illicit materials