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

A nondestructive assay method to identify chemical warfare (CW) agents and high explosive (HE) munitions was tested with actual chemical agents and explosives. 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 signature of the chemical elements chlorine, phosphorus, and sulfur were observed from the CW agent containers and munitions, in sufficient detail to allow identification of agents GC [sarin], HD [mustard gas] and VX from one another, and from HE-filled munitions. By detecting of 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