Chemical warfare agent and high explosive identification by spectroscopy of neutron-induced gamma rays

Author

Caffrey, A.J. ; Cole, J.D. ; Gehrke, R.J. ; Greenwood, R.C.

Author_Institution

Idaho Nat. Eng. Lab., Idaho Falls, ID, USA

fYear

1991

fDate

2-9 Nov. 1991

Firstpage

1233

Abstract

A nondestructive assay method to identify chemical warfare (CW) agents and high explosive (HE) munitions was tested with actual chemical agents and explosives at the Toole Army Depot, Toole, Utah, from 22 April 1991 through 3 May 1991. The assay method exploits the gamma radiation produced by neutron interactions inside a container or munition to identify the elemental composition of its contents. The characteristic gamma-ray signatures of the elements chlorine, phosphorus, and sulfur were observed from the CW agent containers and munitions in sufficient detail to make it possible to reliably discern agents GB (sarin), HD (mustard gas), and VX from one another, and from HE-filled munitions. By detecting the presence of nitrogen, the key indicator of explosive compounds, and the absence of elements Cl, P, and S, HE shells were also clearly identified.<>

Keywords

chemical analysis by nuclear reactions and scattering; chemical variables measurement; chlorine; explosions; gamma-ray detection and measurement; phosphorus; sulphur; weapons; Cl; P; S; VX; assay method; chemical agents; chemical warfare; container; explosive identification; gamma-ray signatures; high explosive munitions; munition; mustard gas; neutron interactions; neutron-induced gamma rays; nondestructive assay; sarin; spectroscopy; Chemical elements; Containers; Explosives; Gamma rays; Helium; High definition video; Neutrons; Nitrogen; Nondestructive testing; Weapons;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, 1991., Conference Record of the 1991 IEEE

Conference_Location

Santa Fe, NM, USA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-0513-2

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/NSSMIC.1991.259122

Filename

259122