To see through: how Tomsk betatrons help in fight against terrorism

TOMSK, Aug 1 – RIA Tomsk. "To transilluminate" the truck for only a few seconds and to precisely define the forbidden substance hidden in baggage - Tomsk betatrons are able to do that.

Customs complexes where betatrons of Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) are the source of radiation can be met on transport hubs of Russia, Great Britain, America, China, Germany and other countries today. The equipment allows to see objects, as they say, through and by that it helps in fight against terrorist threat.

The director of Institute of Non-Destructive Testing Valery Borikov and the head of the Betatrons Development Laboratory Valery Kasyanov told RIA Tomsk about the past and the present, about disappointments and progress of the Tomsk center of the betatronbuilding.

Intra vision

In simple terms betatrons are the "heart" of devices which are used for research of internal structure of objects. By means of such installation it is possible to consider, for example, from within the automobile engine, to see whether there are defects. Experts call it "non-destructive control".

As it is specified in various technical reference books, the betatron is a cyclic accelerator of electrons. In it "electrons accelerate on a circular orbit to their deviation on a target for creation of high-energy x-ray radiation". The first working betatron was created in 1940-1941.

"In the 1940-1950th years betatrons endured the real boom. It seemed that they could possible solve all essential problems of a non-destructive testing and beam medicine. In Tomsk the formation of betatrons is connected with a name of the rector Alexander Vorobyov (the rector of Tomsk Polytechnic Institute from 1944 to 1970)", – Kasyanov remembers.

Works were carried out at first at physics and technology faculty, then at Institute of a non-destructive testing of TPU. In 2010 it received the new name – Institute of Non-Destructive Testing.

"The non-destructive testing is a look inside, intra vision, and non-destructive control is "to look at object, without destroying it". In fact, this is the same", – Borikov says.

Competitors

According to Tomsk experts, betatrons developed all these years. Works didn't stop even when accelerators of other type – linear were around the world demanded. Kasyanov explains that often "linears" are more powerful, and the used energy is stronger, the received image of object is more accurate. At the same time linear accelerators aren't suitable for universal application.

According to Borikov, linear accelerators now are very expensive, especially of foreign production. In them it is used difficult and high culture of production demanding technique of ultrahigh frequencies.

Counter-terrorism

Kasyanov also considers that betatrons experience a rebirth now.

"It is connected with the fact that there was a scope shift. If before they were used generally for non-destructive control of products, then now it is anti-terrorism. The known events in America (acts of terrorism) have given an impetus to development of systems of examination of the person, transport, baggage. In this area betatrons have occupied a strong niche", – Kasyanov tells.

"The big capacities, as in "linears" aren't required. It is impossible to burn down people with radiation, it has to be small, but its energy – has to be high. It is also the advantage of betatrons – in their small dimensions it is possible to make high energy, the picture will be good", – the scientist continues.

Residents of Tomsk received the first big order for these purposes from Germany. Since 2000 TPU put betatrons for customs complexes of the Smith Heimann GmbH company - about 100 pieces. The company releases among other things x-ray monitoring systems for check of baggage, goods, containers and trucks.

"These betatrons are also now used for viewing of transport. Since then it's tied up with this affairs, the flow of customers begun. Now the institute has a good package of orders, one may say, that we are even overloaded with work", – Kasyanov shares.

According to him, the main consumers of Tomsk betatrons – are Great Britain, India, Germany, China. Many companies make the latest customs complexes which deliver worldwide on the basis of betatrons.

"The Russian market lags behind. Our main consumers – the Russian federal nuclear centers of Sarov and Snezhinsk. Betatrons are necessary to them for defectoscopy. We interact with the Moscow companies, we work with military units and so on", – the director of Institute of Non-Destructive Testing comments.

In general, from all volume of the betatrons assembled in TPU, for the radiographic equipment there are about 15% of production.

"Diagnosis" according to the picture

Tomsk Polytechnic University together with Moscow Technological University created the first domestic customs complex for heavy-load cars. "It was applied at the Sochi Olympic Games. Final manufacturers of the complex are Muscovites. But its "heart" – from Tomsk", – Borikov told.

Now two large installations with Tomsk betatrons are involved on construction of Krymsky Bridge for examination of trucks with construction materials.

"As a rule, we make the "heart" – the betatron itself. But we can deliver, of course, and all installation entirely. However for partners it is unprofitable. It is much more favorable to produce a final complex on site", – he continues.

Except betatrons TPU also delivers specialized software.

"It allows to find by means of our unique algorithms not only the unlawful inclusion (in baggage) – as the weapon, for example, but also to define substance. That is it is possible to determine nuclear number of this substance by the received picture, and to further tell that it is water, explosive, gasoline and so on", – the director of Institute of Non-Destructive Testing comments.

Five types of "heart"

"We distinguish five types of betatrons for the customers. The first one – is for carrying out physical experiments. These are betatrons for Snezhinsk and Sarov. The second one – is for the flaw detection equipment. Special demand at India: they conduct active construction, and it is necessary to check support of bridges, iron designs, also they are used for molding control", – Borikov tells.

The third type – are betatrons for an inspection and customs complex. The fourth one – for tomographic systems.

"All know what the tomography is. People do it when are ill. Cars and products "are ill" too. To look in what the problem is, the industrial tomograph is necessary. With its help it is possible to see the car engine, the rocket assembled. Anything", – the scientist explains.

The fifth type of betatrons allows to treat oncological diseases.

"In scientific research institute of oncology in Tomsk installation for intraoperative radiation works. In due time we did installations for the English hospital, for the Chelyabinsk oncology dispensary", – Kasyanov remembers.

"Cancer would always be treated in the operational way if it was possible just to cut out a tumor and not to leave any cancer cell. But how many it's need to cut out? If it's not enough – it's again cancer, if you cut too much – it's hard to the person. And there is an intraoperative radiation: there is an operation, the tumor cleans up, in its bed obviously high dose of radiation "is rolled", cancer cells are killed", – the scientist explains.

Babies and giants

"Our betatrons are successful. They are cheaper than analogs. "Linears" cost under two million euros. The betatron for complexes of the Sochi Olympic Games cost, for example, 140 thousand dollars. We have orders, we are busy", – Borikov tells.

He adds that many companies prefer to make customs complexes on the basis of Tomsk betatrons just because such equipment is simple in service and consumes an energy minimum. For example, the tiny mobile customs complex with the betatron "eats" energy as two electric kettles – about four kilowatts.

"The smallest installation with the betatron – is the complex on 2,5 megaelectronvolts (MEV). In comparison with other installations, this is the baby. It is used for research of joints of pipes in petrochemical branch, on the nuclear reactor. Our biggest betatron – on 10 MEV, weighs 170 kilograms. British have bought big party, Russia takes it. Now we do two similar installations for China", – he continues.

"All consider that we sit and we just do the betatron which was created 50 years ago. It is not true. The betatron – is the unique machine which develops as the child. The future will show how this "child" can help people", – the scientist summarizes.