Skyshine interference with radiation detection systems

Skyshine, the radiation scattered from the air above a source, such as radiography or x-ray imaging sources, can produce interference with radiation detection systems even at very large distances. Skyshine has been studied for many years, but almost entirely within the context of nuclear power and radioactive waste storage. Those studies showed that modeling of skyshine must take into account multiple scatterings and the corresponding large volumes of air. This paper reports on results from various mitigation approaches to the skyshine interference problem as it affects radiation detection systems.