title: Autonomous, broad-spectrum detection of hazardous aerosols in seconds.
abstract: Actual or surrogate chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive materials and illicit drug precursors can be rapidly detected and identified when in aerosol form by a Single-Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (SPAMS) system. This entails not only the sampling of such particles but also the physical analysis and subsequent data analysis leading to a highly reliable alarm state. SPAMS hardware is briefly reviewed. SPAMS software algorithms are discussed in greater detail. A laboratory experiment involving actual threat and surrogate releases mixed with ambient background aerosols demonstrates broad-spectrum detection within seconds. Data from a field test at the San Francisco International Airport demonstrate extended field operation with an ultralow false alarm rate. Together these data sets demonstrate a significant and important advance in rapid aerosol threat detection.
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: George R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Farquar
authors.forename: Audrey N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Keith R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Coffee
authors.forename: Vincent J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Riot
authors.forename: Sue I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Fergenson
authors.forename: Eric E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Gard
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frank
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis*; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D015386:Hazardous Substances