title: Identification of high explosives using single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry.
abstract: The application of single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SPAMS) to the real-time detection of micrometer-sized single particles of high explosives is described. Dual-polarity time-of-flight mass spectra from 1000 single particles each of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX), and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), as well as those of complex explosives, Composition B, Semtex 1A, and Semtex 1H, were obtained over a range of desorption/ionization laser fluences between 0.50 and 8.01 nJ/microm2. Mass spectral variability with laser fluence for each explosive is discussed. The ability of the SPAMS system to identify explosive components in a single complex explosive particle ( approximately 1 pg) without the need for consumables is demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors.forename: Audrey N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: George R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Farquar
authors.forename: Eric E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Gard
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Fergenson