Remote sensing of chemical agents within nuclear facilities using Raman spectroscopy

The identification and characterisation of radioactive material and other hazardous substances are essential requirements for the nuclear industry. Raman spectroscopy can be used to identify substances; however, given the challenging nature of the environment, instruments typically cannot be located within 1 m of the target substance. A new stand-off Raman instrument using a spatial heterodyne spectrometer mounted on a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is presented, and its ability to identify a range of chemicals of interest to the industry is demonstrated within a representative environment. The instrument demonstrated an ability to routinely make Raman observations at 1 m from the target with all sensitive electronic elements situated remotely outside the target environment.