Ionizing photon methods for standoff bomb detection

We consider a method that uses multiple photon-scatter and photon-induced positron annihilation radiation (PIPAR) responses in a template-matching procedure to assist in rapid standoff detection of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The procedure is shown in a simulation study to be able to distinguish an explosive surrogate (fertilizer) from several inert materials, and thus the method may prove useful as part of a multidimensional approach in detecting hidden chemical explosives.