Detector arrays are required for many applications in health and defense. Whether searching for contraband or controlling radioactive spread after an event, a "passive" data collection strategy is a key component. This can take the form of portal monitors attached to a fixed location or a movable array, attached to a vehicle or person, which searches for abnormalities in the radiation background. The main goal of this project was to create software that would allow the digiBASE-E to be used to create arrays of gamma detection instruments and gather data over a long span of time. To take full advantage of the digiBASE-E, the software focused on the list mode capabilities of these devices. List mode attaches a timestamp to each detection event. Every particle detected can be traced to a particular point in time, and the full history of the device?s detection over the acquisition period can be reconstructed. The list mode ability of the digiBASE-E is a powerful tool for producing arrays of detectors, as a more familiar spectrum can be generated for any arbitrary section of time, even after-the-fact. The software package, called "CraneWow", was field tested at the Port of Tacoma in August of 2011. Perl scripts included as part of the package were used to partially analyze the data collected, allowing for verification of the proof-of-concept's success. The software was written in C/C++, with supplemental scripts written in Perl to facilitate processing of the data once collected. Additionally, a user manual and programming guide were written to allow easy use and maintenance of the software.

Over 95% of imports entering the United States from outside North America arrive via cargo containers by sea at 329 ports of entry. The current layered approach for the detection only scans 5% of cargo bound for the United States. This is inadequate to protect our country. This research involved the building of a gamma-ray radiation detection system used for cargo scanning. The system was mounted on a spreader bar crane (SBC) at the Port of Tacoma (PoT) and the applicability and capabilities of the system were analyzed. The detection system provided continuous count rate and spectroscopic data among three detectors while operating in an extreme environment. In a separate set of experiments, 60Co and 137Cs sources were positioned inside a cargo container and data were recorded for several count times. The Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code was used to simulate a radioactive source inside an empty cargo container and the results were compared to experimentally recorded data. The detection system demonstrated the ability to detect 60Co, 137Cs, 192Ir, highly-enriched uranium (HEU), and weapons-grade plutonium (WGPu) with minimum detectable activities (MDA) of 5.9 ± 0.4 microcuries (μCi), 19.3 ± 1.1 μCi, 11.7 ± 0.6 μCi, 3.5 ± 0.3 kilograms (kg), and 30.6 ± 1.3 grams (g), respectively. This system proved strong gamma-ray detection capabilities, but was limited in the detection of fissile materials Additional details of this system are presented and advantages of this approach to cargo scanning over current approaches are discussed.