The primary commercial application for the proposed spectrometer capable of performing both gamma and neutron spectroscopy is for NASA's planetary exploratory missions. Specifically, the proposed spectrometer based on mercurous halides can be used onboard NASA's orbiters and landers to determine surface and sub-surface composition of planetary bodies via both gamma spectroscopy and neutron spectroscopy. The need for advanced room temperature semiconductor materials has always been of significant interest not only from Federal Agencies such as DOD, DHS, DOE, but also from the private sector. Non-NASA uses for a spectrometer with gamma/neutron detection are numerous and include (1) Homeland security applications (2) Space based applications for military agencies, (3) The medical community (SPECT, PET, Spectral-CT),(4) Various industrial markets (chemical, automotive, pharmaceutical and petrochemical), and (5) The research community. Commercial applications include elemental analysis, explosive detection, medical diagnostics, x-ray imaging, seismic activity detection, and radiation monitoring. The detection and identification of radionuclides from atmospheric nuclear tests has obvious military applications such as detection of nuclear non-proliferation, treaty verification, and nuclear materials control.
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