title: Noncontact detection of homemade explosive constituents via photodissociation followed by laser-induced fluorescence.
abstract: Noncontact detection of the homemade explosive constituents urea nitrate, nitromethane and ammonium nitrate is achieved using photodissociation followed by laser-induced fluorescence (PD-LIF). Our technique utilizes a single ultraviolet laser pulse (approximately 7 ns) to vaporize and photodissociate the condensed-phase materials, and then to detect the resulting vibrationally-excited NO fragments via laser-induced fluorescence. PD-LIF excitation and emission spectra indicate the creation of NO in vibrationally-excited states with significant rotational energy, useful for low-background detection of the parent compound. The results for homemade explosives are compared to one another and 2,6-dinitrotoluene, a component present in many military explosives.
authors.affiliation: Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA 02420, USA. cwynn@ll.mit.edu
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wynn
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmacci
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Kunz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rothschild
mesh_terms: D053834:Explosive Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D007834:Lasers; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D053834:Explosive Agents