title: Characterisation of 0.22 caliber rimfire gunshot residues by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS): a preliminary study.
abstract: The application of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) for the characterisation of gunshot residue (GSR) from 0.22 caliber rimfire ammunition is reported. Results obtained by TOF-SIMS were compared with conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies. As could be expected, TOF-SIMS exhibited greater elemental sensitivity than SEM equipped with energy dispersive X-ray detection (SEM-EDX), and was also capable of detecting fragments characteristic of inorganic compounds. This preliminary study indicates that TOF-SIMS offers substantial potential for forensic GSR examinations as a complementary technique to SEM-EDX. In addition TOF-SIMS is applicable to the analysis of individual particles in the typical size range encountered in GSR casework.
authors.affiliation: Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, 5095, Mawson Lakes, Australia
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coumbaros
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Kirkbride
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klass
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Skinner
mesh_terms: D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018629:Spectrometry, Mass, Secondary Ion / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D013997:Time Factors; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000473:pathology*