IEEE/ANSI N42.41-2021

This standard specifies the minimum operational and performance requirements of active interrogation systems for use in homeland security applications. These systems employ penetrating ionizing radiation (e.g., neutrons, high-energy x-rays, gamma-rays) to detect and identify hidden special nuclear material, explosives, and chemical warfare agents by the detection of stimulated secondary radiations or by nuclear resonance contrast, giving elemental and/or isotopic identification of the composition of the substances-of-interest. These inspection systems may be designed for open inspection zones of various sizes or for various sizes of containers such as small packages, briefcases, suitcases, air cargo containers, passenger vehicles, two-axle trucks, intermodal cargo containers, semi-trailers/tractor rigs, or rail cars. The systems may be designed for operation in indoor, outdoor, or mobile facilities. This standard does not apply to small portable systems.

The purpose of this standard is to specify the minimum performance criteria for active interrogation systems to be considered for use in homeland security applications.

Revision Standard - Active. The minimum performance criteria for active interrogation systems in homeland security applications are described in this standard. These systems are intended for non-intrusive inspection of closed containers, vehicles, and packages of a wide range of types and sizes. In these systems, the contents of an inspection zone are irradiated with penetrating ionizing radiation to determine the presence of a hidden substance-of-interest by the analysis of stimulated secondary radiations or absorption spectra that are indicative of the elemental and/or isotopic composition of the substances-of-interest (special nuclear material, explosives, chemical warfare agents). The "IEEE Get Program" grants public access to view and download individual PDFs of select standards at no charge. Visit https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/browse/standards/get-program/page for details.