Detection of Improvised Explosive Devices

A detection system will be fabricated, and tested to demonstrate the detection of vehicle-borne or buried explosives at distances greater of 1 meter or more. The system is comprised of a high-intensity fast-neutron source and an array of gamma-ray detectors that are material specific. The fast neutrons cause the target to emit unique gamma rays that are characteristic of its atomic elements. Three detectors are each doped with carbon, nitrogen, or oxygen, and are designed to produce total outputs that increase with the amount of their respective element in the target. The quantities and ratios of these detected elements can determine the presence of explosive devices. Additional detectors doped with other elements could also be used in the system for the detection of chemical warfare agents and exotic explosives. The research will proceed by the continuing the testing and refinement of prototype detectors built during the Phase I SBIR. A high intensity neutron generator will then be modified to operate at higher neutron energies and used with a complete detector array to detect explosives. A prototype system will be tested at a US Army installation and will serve as the basis for a commercial system.