Noninvasive Detection of Weapons of Mass Destruction Using Terahertz Radiation

Published

July 1, 2003

Author(s)

M B. Campbell, Edwin J. Heilweil

Abstract

The growing and immediate threat of biological and chemical weapons has placed urgency on the development of chemical and biological warfare agent (CWA/BWA) and explosive material screening devices. Specifically, the ability to detect CWA/BWA or explosives prior to deployment is paramount to mitigating the threat without exposing individuals to its effects. SPARTA, Inc., and NIST are currently investigating the feasibility of using terahertz radiation to non-invasively and non-destructively detect and identify threats inside the mail or in sealed containers, such as bottles or hand-carried items. Small-to-medium sized molecules (3 atoms to 100 atoms) in gas, liquid and solid phases consistently exhibit identifiable spectral features in the far-IR portion of the spectrum. Many compounds associated with weapons of mass destruction/effect are made up of molecules of this size. Because 0.3-20 THz light partially transmits through many common materials, transmission measurements of THz light can potentially be used to detect the presence of CWA/BWA and explosives in the pathway of a THz radiation beam.

Proceedings Title

Terahertz for Military and Security Applications, Conference | | Terahertz for Military and Security Applications | SPIE

Volume

5070

Conference Dates

April 21-25, 2003

Conference Location

Undefined

Conference Title

Proceedings of SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engineering

Pub Type

Conferences

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

containers, non-invasive, terahertz spectroscopy, THz, THz detection, weapons of mass destruction

Citation

Campbell, M. and Heilweil, E. (2003), Noninvasive Detection of Weapons of Mass Destruction Using Terahertz Radiation, Terahertz for Military and Security Applications, Conference | | Terahertz for Military and Security Applications | SPIE, Undefined, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=841730 (Accessed May 4, 2026)

Additional citation formats