The invention relates to the fact that a common industrial neutron
interrogation screening requirement is that a high throughput rate be
accommodated by the screening system. The accumulation of elemental
abundance ratio spectral data to minimize statistical uncertainty is a
function of the neutron flux passing through the subject. If the subject
passes through a neutron beam, with a strictly limited time window for
exposure, the flux must be sufficient to accumulate the required
statistics. The level of neutron flux necessary may exceed the cost
effective limits of the selected neutron source means. Exposure time
window dilation is disclosed through a class of system configurations
which become practical for reduction to practice by utilization of linear
neutron source topology neutron generators. This disclosure is concerned
with example embodiments which utilize the length, width, thickness and
segmentation of the source emission zone within an appropriate neutron
source.