PNNL

Abstract

Imaging technology is rarely used in arms control inspections due to the 3 sensitive information that an image contains and the impression that it cannot 4 be properly secured in a treaty verification context. However, this same sensi5 tive information, specifically a direct view of the form and function of the items 6 under inspection, could be used for robust arms control inspections. We have 7 been exploring methods of image analysis with information protection mecha8 nisms built in, such as an immediate transform to reduce the dimensionality of 9 the image data to a non-sensitive set of numbers. Here, we introduce one such 10 method, the single-pixel gamma camera (SPGC). We utilize the methodology 11 of the single-pixel optical camera and compressive sensing to capture the spa12 tial features of an inspected object without ever actually forming the image. The 13 inspection would be accomplished with a gamma-opaque, randomly-etched 14 mask on a translation/rotation stage, a single large-area gamma detector, and 15 a high-energy X-ray source. Each data point would be the total brightness 16 produced in the gamma detector from the gamma flux that has passed through 17 the inspected object and the mask. Repeating this measurement with the mask 18 in various positions forms the compressively sensed data vector. In this way, 19 the spatial information of the image is captured in the data vector while an 20 image is never actually formed. We present the theory behind this method and 21 estimate performance with simulated inspections. We demonstrate the potential 22 for robustness of the compressively sensed data set to be used as a template 23 for inspection of treaty items and discuss its potential as a secure inspection 24 method.