Element analysis method of concealed explosive based on TNA

Abstract

The detection technology of concealed bulk explosives is related to social security and national defense construction and has important research significance. In this paper, an element analysis method of concealed explosives based on thermal neutron analysis is proposed. This method could provide better reconstruction precision for hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen ratios, making it possible to discriminate explosives from other compounds with the same elements but different proportions, as well as to identify the types of concealed bulk explosives. In this paper, the basic principles and mathematical model of this method are first introduced, and the calculation formula of the element number ratio (the ratio between the nucleus numbers of two different elements) of the concealed explosive is deduced. Second, a numerical simulation platform of this method was established based on the Monte Carlo JMCT code. By calibrating the absorption efficiencies of the explosive device to γ rays, the element number ratios of a concealed explosive model under the irradiation of thermal neutrons were reconstructed from the neutron capture prompt γ-ray spectrum. The reconstruction values were in good agreement with the actual values, which shows that this method has a high reconstruction precision of the element number ratio for concealed explosives. Lastly, it was demonstrated using the simulation study that this method can discriminate explosives, drugs, and common materials, with the capability of determining the existence of concealed bulk explosives and identifying explosive types.