Abstract
BackgroundDetection of buried improvised explosive devices (IEDs) is a delicate task, leading to a need to develop sensitive stand-off detection technology. The shape, composition and size of the IEDs can be expected to be revised over time in an effort to overcome increasingly sophisticated detection methods. As an example, for the most part, landmines are found through metal detection which has led to increasing use of non-ferrous materials such as wood or plastic containers for chemical based explosives being developed.MethodologyMonte Carlo simulations have been undertaken considering three different commercially available detector materials (hyperpure-Ge (HPGe), lanthanum(III) bromide (LaBr) and thallium activated sodium iodide (NaI(Tl)), applied at a stand-off distance of 50 cm from the surface and burial depths of 0, 5 and 10 cm, with sand as the obfuscating medium. Target materials representing medium density wood and mild steel have been considered. Each detector has been modelled as a 10 cm thick cylinder with a 20 cm diameter.Principal FindingsIt appears that HPGe represents the most promising detector for this application. Although it was not the highest density material studied, its excellent energy resolving capability leads to the highest quality spectra from which detection decisions can be inferred.ConclusionsThe simulation work undertaken here suggests that a vehicle-born threat detection system could be envisaged using a single betatron and a series of detectors operating in parallel observing the space directly in front of the vehicle path. Furthermore, results show that non-ferrous materials such as wood can be effectively discerned in such remote-operated detection system, with the potential to apply a signature analysis template matching technique for real-time analysis of such data.
Highlights
Detection of buried improvised explosive devices (IEDs) is a delicate task, leading to a need to develop sensitive stand-off detection technology
For the most part, landmines are found through metal detection which has led to increasing use of non-ferrous materials such as wood or plastic containers for chemical based explosives being developed
Detection of Buried Objects' Backscatter non-ferrous materials such as wood can be effectively discerned in such remote-operated detection system, with the potential to apply a signature analysis template matching technique for real-time analysis of such data
Summary
Detection of buried improvised explosive devices (IEDs) is a delicate task, leading to a need to develop sensitive stand-off detection technology. Not least among the challenges in producing high specificity (ruling out the presence of a threat in the absence of a threat), high sensitivity (ruling in the presence of a threat in the presence of a threat) technology is that the shape, composition and size of the IEDs can be expected to be revised over time in an effort to overcome increasingly sophisticated detection methods. Neutron based methods are generally used to identify explosives by their stoichiometry [4] This is an advantage where landmines and IEDs are increasingly based on non-metallic componentry e.g. plastic, wood and/or chemical componentry. For the most part, landmines are found through metal detection which has led to increasing use of non-ferrous materials such as wood or plastic containers for chemical based explosives being developed
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