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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Quantitative Detection of Trace Explosive Vapors by Programmed Temperature Desorption Gas Chromatography-Electron Capture Detector
Published on: July 25, 2014
Detection of chemical explosives using multiple photon signatures
1Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. kloschke@ksu.edu
Abstract:
A template-matching procedure is being investigated for rapid detection of improvised explosive devices at standoff distances. Photon-scattered and photon-induced positron annihilation radiation responses are being studied as a part of a signature-based radiation scanning approach. Back-streaming radiation responses, called signatures, are compared to templates, which are collections of the same signatures if the interrogated volume contained a significant amount of explosive. Experiments have been conducted that show that explosive surrogates (fertilizers) can be distinguished from several inert materials.
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