Spectral identification of traces of explosives in reflected THz radiation

Abstract

The work is devoted to the influence of scattering of terahertz (THz) radiation by hexogen particles (RDX) in powdery samples on their transmission and reflection spectra. A terahertz radio-vision installation with spectral resolution was used to determine experimentally THz spectra of RDX. For samples with small RDX particles (the typical particle size is 100 μm), characteristic peaks at 0.8 THz and 1.06 THz are observed in absorption spectra despite scattering, that can be used to identify this substance. For large hexogen particles (a typical particle size is 450 μm), experiments and numerical simulation showed that even the most intense peak at 0.8 THz is not observed in absorption spectra, and the spectra are mainly due to the scattering effect and its depending on the wavelength of radiation. The reflection spectra of RDX layers (particle size is about 100 μm) qualitatively differ from the reflection spectra of RDX crystals and are formed as a result of absorption during propagation of THz radiation in the particle layer. Thus, the substance can be identified by absorption spectra in a reflection scheme.