1. Home
  2. Electronics Design
  3. Remote Detection of Explosives

Remote Detection of Explosives

Recently, researchers have shown that they could detect p-nitrotoluene, an explosive, by detecting its nuclear quadrupole resonance. This resonance is at about 887KHz. There is a potential for using this method for detecting explosives remotely.

Would it also be possible to detonate explosives remotely by exciting unstable nitrogen compounds which have this resonance? Perhaps a microwave beam, modulated at the correct frequency could disrupt the unstable compound and cause it to detonate. If so, this would be a great way of disposing of mines and other ordanance remotely.

Does anyone know if research is being done in this area?

Ref: N nuclear quadrupole resonance of p-nitrotouend using a high_Tc rf SQUID, Institue of Physics Publishing, Supercond. Sci. Technol. 20 (2007) 232-234

Al

Reply to
Al
Loading thread data ...

Note:

Superconducting stuff. I'm not sure if they have to do anything special to the test molecule to detect it. It's an interesting prospect though; maybe they'll discover room temperature superconductors and put SQUIDs in PDAs and we'll have the first tricorders.

Tim

-- Deep Fryer: a very philosophical monk. Website:

formatting link

Reply to
Tim Williams

Seems unlikely. The energy involved in nuclear resonance is well below the random thermal energy of molecules at room temperature, which makes it a poor target for microwave heating.

Seems extremely unlikely. The microwave gear you might use has been around since I was an undergraduate, but the microwave spectrum only excites rotational modes - which aren't as pathetically weak as nuclear resonances, but still down at room-temperature random energy, and they are only narrow band in the gas-phase, which isn't much help if you want to ignite condensed phase explosives.

Dream on.

The American military has spend a lot of money on truly ridiculous schemes to turn bad physics into weapons - search on the hafnium bomb. The same clowns might have tried your idea too ....

--
Bill Sloman, Nijmegen
Reply to
bill.sloman

Al wrote in news:no.spam- snipped-for-privacy@news.verizon.net:

there was an article on

formatting link
tonight about explosive detection using SQUID.

I've read recently that Iran has bought PIR detectors from China and incorporated them in IEDs sent to Iraq.US authorities have traced lot numbers from China that were shipped to Iran.Tough to detect PIR-triggered IEDs.I wonder if high power RF pulses would detonate them from a safe distance?

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
Reply to
Jim Yanik

How about that "heat" weapon that was just announced?

I'm for giving Iran a "heat" weapon of a different sort ;-) But it needs to be swift and TOTAL.

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
I love to cook with wine.      Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Jim Thompson wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

No,I don't think it would do the job. Wrong freq. range.

IMO,some skilled rifleman could take it out with a single shot from a scoped rifle;all they need to know is where to hit it,which isn't hard to figure out.

AMEN!

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
Reply to
Jim Yanik

Stray dogs or cats will trigger PIR detectors.

--
Paul Hovnanian     mailto:Paul@Hovnanian.com
------------------------------------------------------------------
I have a very firm grasp on reality. I can reach out and strangle it any
time!
Reply to
Paul Hovnanian P.E.

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.