Explosive identification with terahertz spectroscopy: A model based approach

The newly urgent need for extensive, reliable, and fast screening for the identification of explosives stemming from public safety and homeland security concerns has stimulated the search for efficient, quantitative detectors and classifiers. Spectroscopic analysis in the terahertz frequency range is proposed as an efficient and powerful tool for explosive identification. It is shown that spectral responses of materials can be used as "signatures" that distinguish explosive agents from other classes of materials. A simple least squares criterion is employed, comparing measured spectra to model reference spectra, with fast and consistent explosive identification. Results with both real and synthetic data are presented.