A Small Article Monitor or SAM is a monitoring device designed to screen small items of up to 50 pounds weight for
radioactive contamination
Radioactive contamination, also called radiological pollution, is the deposition of, or presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids, or gases (including the human body), where their presence is unintended or undesirab ...
. It uses six plastic
scintillation detector
Scintillation can refer to:
*Scintillation (astronomy), atmospheric effects which influence astronomical observations
*Interplanetary scintillation, fluctuations of radio waves caused by the solar wind
*Scintillation (physics), a flash of light pro ...
s, one each on the top, bottom, back, left and right sides of the chamber, plus one in the door. Operation of the instrument is controlled from an integral terminal. The instrument performs a self-test and acquires a new
Background count each time it is powered up. It also monitors its own operation during normal use and indicates any failures. It runs continuously, updating backgrounds whenever no weight is detected inside the chamber. A new count is initiated every time a door open/door close sequence is detected.
Because of overall interference a
Geiger counter
A Geiger counter (also known as a Geiger–Müller counter) is an electronic instrument used for detecting and measuring ionizing radiation. It is widely used in applications such as radiation dosimetry, radiological protection, experimental ph ...
would be rendered ineffective within the walls of a nuclear
containment building
A containment building is a reinforced steel, concrete or lead structure enclosing a nuclear reactor. It is designed, in any emergency, to contain the escape of radioactive steam or gas to a maximum pressure in the range of . The containment i ...
for screening individual articles (i.e., clothing, tools, etc.) for specific contamination. A SAM can measure nuclear contamination of specific articles without interference from its outside environment due to the thickness of its lead casing. SAMs range in weight from 1900lbs to 3500lbs.
Particle detectors
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