Thanks you, everyone, for your robust interest in being part of SORMA West 2016. We received 243 abstracts from 215 contributing authors. Abstract submittal has closed so that the committee can evaluate this wealth of material, build a logically structured program, and respond to you in a timely manner. The information below is being left up for reference purposes.
We invite you to submit an abstract and a 1- to 2-page PDF file of supporting material for each presentation you would like to give.
An abstract-submittal link is at the bottom of this page.
SORMA West 2016 will focus exclusively on radiation detection for homeland and national security applications — the challenges, the advances, and the lessons learned throughout the demonstrations of recent years. Since abstract submittal was opened, a new topic area, “Other Enabling Technologies for National Security,” has been added. Please review the list of suggested topics below to see how your research aligns with the goals of SORMA.
Submitting an Abstract and PDF Supporting Material
The path to the SORMA West 2012 program starts with submittal of a 500-word abstract plus two pages of supporting material in PDF. The abstract will eventually be publicly visible. The two page PDF of supporting material is for the committee’s use in making acceptance and session-assignment decisions and will not be published. It can include graphics, equations, color, etc., unlike the plain-text abstract.
Please submit and present only materials that are cleared for release—no classified documents; no “sensitive” or “for official use only” materials; and nothing corporate-confidential.
SORMA West 2016 Topics
Passive Detection in Wide-Area Search and Cluttered Environments
Several technology demonstrations have aimed at advancing the capability to passively detect radioactivity at larger stand-off distances to enable wide-area search to be conducted more effectively (i.e., with higher sensitivity and by reducing the amount of time required). These demonstrations include terrestrial vehicle and helicopter deployed systems and have used directionality and gamma-ray imaging schemes. In addition, contextual information (e.g., target tracking and 3D maps of the environment) is increasingly being used to improve detection capabilities.
These sessions will include technology demonstrations, descriptions of associated systems, and lessons learned, in terms of the most-effective means for extending detection range and improving detection and localization capabilities. Submissions to this topic are encouraged from systems developers and integrators, as well as those developing new approaches and developing enabling technologies (e.g., target tracking, advanced detectors, advanced readout electronics). In addition, submissions associated with advanced detection algorithms for these systems and applications, or to fuse multiple data streams to improve detection capability are encouraged.
Active Interrogation and Shielded Special Nuclear Material Detection
Several technology demonstrations have sought to use advanced radiography and/or active interrogation techniques, primarily to detect shielded SNM in cargo conveyances. These sessions will describe these technology demonstrations, systems demonstrated, and the associated lessons learned, in terms of which approaches and/or signatures provide the most leverage. Submissions to this topic are encouraged from systems developers and integrators, as well as those developing enabling technologies (e.g., advanced photon or neutron sources, advanced radiography or active interrogation signature detectors). In addition, submissions associated with advanced algorithms for analyzing radiographs or to fuse multiple signatures to improve detection capability are encouraged.
Ubiquitous Detection: deploying a large number of low-cost, moderate-performance passive detectors
Several technology demonstrations have been conducted to establish the capabilities necessary to assess the requirements for deploying large numbers of detectors at special events or within urban environments to improve detection capabilities by increasing encounter probabilities. These demonstrations have include developing enabling technologies such as low-cost, high-performance detectors, data acquisition and analysis of large distributed networks of detectors, and the advanced algorithms necessary to fuse data from multiple detectors and potentially multiple detector types. Submissions to this topic are encouraged from systems developers and integrators, as well as those developing enabling technologies (e.g., low-cost, high-performance detectors, advanced algorithms, fusing of contextual information with radiation detector data).
Advanced Capabilities Enabled by Gamma-Ray and Neutron Imaging
There have been significant investments in advancing characterization and man-portable capabilities by leveraging gamma-ray and/or neutron imagers in national and homeland security applications. Submissions are encouraged from system developers and users on topics including imaging detectors, readout electronics, image reconstruction, and contextual data fusion.
New topic added 8 December 2015:
Other Enabling Technologies for National Security
Significant strides have been made in advancing nuclear security capabilities beyond the more focused technology demonstrations that are the subject of the other SORMA West 2016 topics. In this topic we encourage submissions in other nuclear application spaces, such as: nonproliferation, safeguards, arms control and treaty verification, search, consequence management, response and recovery, forensics, and radiological resilience. In addition, enabling technologies related to these applications (e.g., advanced detector materials and detector concepts, advanced pulse and data processing concepts, advanced algorithms and data fusion) are encouraged.
Click here to begin submitting an abstract and 2-page PDF supporting materials