https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02254-6
Regular Article
An underwater gamma-ray spectrometer for maritime inspection in terms of nuclear security
1
Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 Athens-Sounio Ave, 19013, Anavyssos, Greece
2
Department of Physics, National Technical University of Athens, 15780, Athens, Greece
3
MANiBUS Ltd., Business Consulting and Services, 20 Psaron St., 19400, Koropi, Greece
a
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Received:
6
October
2025
Accepted:
3
March
2026
Published online:
11
March
2026
Abstract
The underwater in situ gamma-ray spectrometry is a valuable tool for the detection of naturally occurring and anthropogenic radionuclides in the marine environment. A lot of effort has been made to develop reliable medium and low-resolution gamma-ray spectrometers to operate in different marine environments from shallow water masses to the very deep water masses. In this work, a new gamma-ray spectrometry system is designed to inspect dangerous nuclear materials inside and under the hull of the ships. The benefits of the developed detection system (named KATERINA-M) are the small dimensions, the light weight, the low-power consumption, and the capability to be easily integrated in robotic vehicles. The detection system is calibrated using reference sources in the air and in a controlled aquatic environment. The experimental data were reproduced with simulation results. Furthermore, the system was integrated in a marine drone for field operations. Several tests were performed to control the stability of the system and its efficient operation in the marine environment. As a first evaluation, measurements were performed in a controlled environment and in the seawater using artificial and naturally occurring radioactive sources. The developed underwater nuclear detection system can be easily integrated in different robotic vehicles for scanning applications in different areas of interest.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
