Method for characterizing a radiation source by a radiation portal monitoring system

A method for characterizing a radiation source by a radiation portal monitoring system is described, the radiation portal monitoring system including a plurality of detectors including radiation detectors configured to detect ionizing radiation of the radiation source and to generate a detection signal responsive to detection of the ionizing radiation, and a control system including at least one processor executing the steps of: assigning an identification address to each detector; selecting a set of at least two detectors using the identification addresses; assigning an effective portal area to the selected set of detectors; receiving via a communication network a detection signal generated by the detectors of the selected set, using the identification addresses of the detectors of the selected set; and characterizing the radiation source associated with the effective portal area using the detection signal of the detectors of the selected set.