Year
1996
Abstract
The a HELINUC B system has been developed in France by the Commissariats a l’Energie Atomique in order to carry out gamma mapping of accidental releases or contaminated areas within a short time. The simultaneous acquisition of a gamma spectmm and the corresponding coordinates of the surveyed point is performed by the equipment on board a helicopter or an airplane. The data acquired in fligth are processed on the ground by a specialized computer data processing system. Within a few minutes the system can produce a map with artificial colors showing the levels of natural or man-made activity and then superimpose it on a topographic map. ((HELINUC n can within a few hours, elaborate a map of radioactivi~ spread over few square kilometers up to several tens of square kilometers and identi@ the radioelements in the range fkom natural radioactivity to a severe accidental situation. With its very low limits of detection for 241Amand 235U,a HELINUC D represents a powerfid way to control nuclear or supposed nuclear installations without intrusion. It should be use4 at first to provi& very quickly an overwiew allowing the use of more precise local controls as samples analysis or high-purity germanium spectrometry.