DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS AND EQUIPMENT FOR DETECTION OF EXPLOSIVES’ VAPORS IN THE ATMOSPHERE WITH LASER

Abstract

Nowadays a lot of attention is being paid on the development of methods and instrumentation for detection of traces of explosives in the atmosphere. This necessity is caused by numerous cruel and inhuman acts of terrorism, which are being carried out throughout the world. Often terrorists’ attacks are carried out by suicide-bombers, who are usually indistinguishable from other people in the crowd. In this connection, methods of standoff detection of traces of explosives in the air are of particular interest, since they can provide the possibility of non-contact (secret) detection of explosives or a suicide bomber. Among many known methods of detection and identification of chemical compounds, only optical chemical analysis methods can provide standoff detection, because they use light waves (either absorbed or emitted by the object) as carriers of information. In the past decades, all optical methods practically without exception have undergone their second birth due to a great progress in the laser and optoelectronic technologies. Thus, recent advances in semiconductor lasers, optical fibers, and high-sensitivity matrix detectors based on CMOS technology made it possible to make Raman analyzers standard devices for routine measurements in chemical analysis [1]. Lidar methods also gain a wide use in monitoring the environment and in ecological control [2]. However, optical methods have so far found only limited application in detection of explosives, and many problems in the development of these methods are still to be addressed [3]. The difficulties in detecting the