Radioactive anomaly detector

A detector apparatus, comprising:

• a collector having access to an interior of a storage container;
• and
• a tester coupled to the collector and disposed on a frame element configured to manipulate the storage container, the tester comprising:
• a test chamber into which a sample of a gaseous fluid drawn from the interior of the storage container by the collector is directed;
• an excitation element to excite the sample in the test chamber;
• and
• a spectrum analyzing device coupled to the test chamber to analyze the excited sample for evidence of a concentration of particles of interest in the gaseous fluid exceeding a threshold concentration,
• the threshold concentration being defined in accordance with a type of the particles of interest and a residence time of the sample in the interior of the storage container.

A method of operating a detector apparatus, the method comprising:

• directing a sample of a gaseous fluid drawn from an interior of a storage container into a test chamber;
• lasing the sample in the test chamber to excite the sample;
• performing spectroscopy on the excited sample;
• analyzing results of the spectroscopy for evidence of a concentration of particles of interest in the gaseous fluid exceeding a threshold concentration;
• and
• defining the threshold concentration in accordance with a type of the particles of interest and a residence time of the sample in the interior of the storage container.