Sens Imaging (2007) 8:9–38 DOI 10.1007/s11220-007-0029-8 ORIGINAL PAPER
Recent Advances in Trace Explosives Detection Instrumentation David S. Moore
Received: 3 January 2007 / Accepted: 6 March 2007 / Published online: 26 May 2007 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007
Abstract There has been a huge increase in instrument development for trace detection of explosives in the past 3 years. This is especially true for methods that can be used at a stand off distance, driven by the frightening increase in the use of improvised explosive devices in both suicide and road side bombings. This review attempts to outline and enumerate these recent developments, with details about the improvements made as well as where further improvements might come. Keywords Reviews
Trace detection · Trace analysis · Explosives · Trace analytical instrumentation ·
1 Introduction The inventiveness and creativity of those that would do the civilized world harm are seemingly limitless. This fact has been true throughout history; today is no exception. While civilized people might have difficulty understanding their enemies’ motivation, they can and must use their own creativity to proactively conceive adequate defenses. The most recent alarming increase in number and violence of terrorist bombings has made the task of standoff detection of improvised explosive devices extremely urgent. Yet, because of the variety of explosive materials available, cleverness of packaging, variability of venue, and the (mostly) low vapor pressures of explosives, the task of detection is extremely difficult. This review is intended to highlight recent advances in analytical instrumentation and methodology applicable to trace, vapor, and stand-off explosives detection. It is also intended to compare current capabilities to what is necessary for field use. As was the case with my earlier review [1], the focus here will be on results published in the archival scientific literature, via both peer reviewed journals and proceedings volumes (and also some National Laboratory reports), rather than vendor information.
D. S. Moore (B) Shock and Detonation Physics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA e-mail: moored@lanl.gov
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