Customer Reviews

Counterterrorist Detection Techniques of Explosives

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The image on the book's cover is one of the best I've seen in many years. The subject is important and a hard technical problem. But the cover immediately and axiomatically summarises the promised capabilities of the antiterrorist methods.

Be warned. The text is deeply technical. With an emphasis on the chemistry of explosives. Most explosives [well most solid substances] outgas. It is the detection and classification of this vapour that takes most of the book's attention. Many methods are brought to bear on the problem. Where you need to remember that only trace quantities of vapour will be present.

One method uses differential mobility spectrometry. Another idea is to have a MEMS - a small micromechanical widget on a chip, that functions as a little chemistry lab, optimised to detect explosives. Yet another approach uses millimeter waves for imaging. (This was used to make the cover's image.)

Overall, the conclusion is promising. The different methods collectively offer high probabilities of detection. Whether these can be pervasively and economically done at sensitive sites like airports is another issue, outside the book's remit.