Screening sealed bottles for liquid explosives

Sankaran Kumar; W. Casey McMichael; Y.-W. Kim; Alan G. Sheldon; Erik E. Magnuson; L. Ficke; T. K.-L. Chhoa; C. R. Moeller; Geoffrey A. Barrall; Lowell J. Burnett; Peter V. Czipott; J. Scott Pence; David C. Skvoretz

doi:10.1117/12.265406

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29 January 1997 Screening sealed bottles for liquid explosives

Sankaran Kumar, W. Casey McMichael, Y.-W. Kim, Alan G. Sheldon, Erik E. Magnuson, L. Ficke, T. K.-L. Chhoa, C. R. Moeller, Geoffrey A. Barrall, Lowell J. Burnett, Peter V. Czipott, J. Scott Pence, David C. Skvoretz

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Proceedings Volume 2934, Security Systems and Nonlethal Technologies for Law Enforcement; (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.265406
Event: Enabling Technologies for Law Enforcement and Security, 1996, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

A particularly disturbing development affecting transportation safety and security is the increasing use of terrorist devices which avoid detection by conventional means through the use of liquid explosives and flammables. The hazardous materials are generally hidden in wine or liquor bottles that cannot be opened routinely for inspection. This problem was highlighted by the liquid explosives threat which disrupted air traffic between the US an the Far East for an extended period in 1995. Quantum Magnetics has developed a Liquid Explosives Screening systems capable of scanning unopened bottles for liquid explosives. The system can be operated to detect specific explosives directly or to verify the labeled or bar-coded contents of the container. In this system, magnetic resonance (MR) is used to interrogate the liquid. MR produces an extremely rich data set and many characteristics of the MR response can be determined simultaneously. As a result, multiple MR signatures can be defined for any given set of liquids, and the signature complexity then selected according to the level of threat. The Quantum Magnetics Liquid Explosives Screening System is currently operational. Following extensive laboratory testing, a field trial of the system was carried out at the Los Angeles International Airport.

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Sankaran Kumar, W. Casey McMichael, Y.-W. Kim, Alan G. Sheldon, Erik E. Magnuson, L. Ficke, T. K.-L. Chhoa, C. R. Moeller, Geoffrey A. Barrall, Lowell J. Burnett, Peter V. Czipott, J. Scott Pence, and David C. Skvoretz "Screening sealed bottles for liquid explosives", Proc. SPIE 2934, Security Systems and Nonlethal Technologies for Law Enforcement, (29 January 1997); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.265406

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