Detection of Improvised Explosive Devices

The proposed research will demonstrate the technical feasibility of fabricating an effective screening system that will detect explosive materials. The system will be single-sided exposure and detection scheme permitting standoff distances of 1 meter or more. The system will consist of a new, high-intensity, portable neutron source that exposes the subject article and a detector that analyzes the fluorescence £^-rays that are emitted. The determination of the explosives will be done with a resonant-response element-rich detector that will offer heightened sensitivity to characteristic ƒx-ray emission particular to each element of the explosives. A determination is made whether an explosive is present based on the concentrations of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon and other elements in the suspect space. To increase the speed of detection and maximize the standoff distance, a powerful neutron source will be developed that can be made both portable and rugged. The potential for successful development of the prototype system is very high because of our institutional partner¡¦s prior fabrication and testing of neutron generators and our, and others, prior research in the development of resonance detector systems.