Technion researchers have developed an effective method for detecting explosives

The unique development was revealed for the first time at a conference of the Center for Security Science and Technology at the Technion by Professor Israel Shechter of the Shulich Faculty of Chemistry

Technion researchers have developed an innovative method for detecting explosives. They discovered that a certain interaction of laser light with materials may be used to detect traces of many explosives. Anyone who flies around the world is well aware of the exhausting check-in processes. The devices used today at airports and border crossings have severe limitations that are well known to scientists and probably also to the more sophisticated terrorists, and because of this it is not possible to identify all the explosives with certainty and fullness.

A new method developed by a group of researchers at the Technion, led by Professor Israel Schechter of the Shulich Faculty of Chemistry, allows for the first time the quick and cheap detection of traces of explosives (conventional and non-conventional). The method was revealed for the first time at the "Security and War on Terror - The Scientific Challenge" conference, organized by the Center for Security Science and Technology at the Technion, chaired by Professor Avi Marmor.

"The new method is extremely important for fighting terrorism in the world," said Professor Shechter, "although researchers from all over the world are working hard to find new ways to detect explosives, this scientific problem has not yet been resolved. We found a surprising solution to the problem. We discovered that a certain interaction of laser light with materials may be used to detect traces of many explosives. This is a new physical principle that has not been tested before. We built an initial prototype and after testing it we found that its sensitivity to many explosives meets the requirements and the method does not suffer from the limitations that exist in the other devices. The new method known as MEES (Multiphotopn Electron Extraction Spectroscopy) forms the basis for a new type of chemical analysis."

The newly developed device for identifying the materials is the size of a normal computer, easy to carry and operate. Professor Schechter noted that in the tests that took place in his laboratory, the researchers were able to identify, using the innovative method, many types of explosives, as well as traces of drugs and other substances, which were provided for testing in the laboratory by the Israel Police."
Professor Schechter works in full cooperation with the Israel Police, which shows great interest in his research.