bomb detection - INVN, MAGSF, ASE, TMD, ICTSF, others?
(cross posted to ASE thread)
There are a number of bomb detection companies that have risen in the aftermath of the recent 747 crash, and may jump again after the Olympic bombing.
From searching the web, I have found that the MAGSF product is based on 2-D X-ray imaging and computerized image analysis. I believe I could fool it in a second if I were trying to get a bomb onto a plane, but maybe they know something I don't. The INVN product is an x-ray machine as well, but it uses its 200kV x-ray source to do computerized tomography, generating a 3-D model of the x-ray density of the package. Themedics (TMD) builds a "sniffer" that detects airborne chemicals at low concentrations to detect the explosive compounds.
Perhaps there are no commercial products based on neutron diffraction or nuclear quadrupole resonance. Most explosives containe large proportions to nitrogen relative to other baggage items. Nitrogen is not readily detected by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), but NMR's big brother, nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) can detect nitrogen. And it can distinguish between the highly oxidized nitrogen states found in nitro or nitrate explosives. It will also erase your credit cards and maybe even your notebook computer's hard drive. Again, this system can be defeated by switching to a different type of explosive material.
If anyone knows of other bomb-detector companies, what are they?
-bob mackey |
