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Laser-optical mine detection needle will facilitate mine clearing
March 11, 2003The "laser-optical mine detection needle" is intended to facilitate the removal of land mines for humanitarian reasons. The working group of Professor Dr. Wolfgang Schade at the Institute of Physics und Physical Technologies at the Technical University of Clausthal intends to exhibit a "laser-optical mine detection needle" at this year's Hannover Exposition (7th to 12th April). The exhibit will be located at the joint display stand of Lower Saxony's universities in Hall 18. It is based on miniaturised laser technology in combination with laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS) and permits non-contact on-line and in situ classification of explosive substances. An application has been filed for a patent on the method.
The functional principle of the laser-optical mine detection needle is the following: Intense laser pulses from a miniaturised, passive Q-switched Nd:YAG microchip laser generate a plasma on the surface of the sample under investigation. The elements are present in ionised form within the plasmoid. After the laser pulse has been switched off, the electrons recombine with the ionised atom. The emission of light is associated with this process. The duration of light emission extends over a range of a few hundred nanoseconds, as dictated by the respective plasma conditions. Typically, the excitation under atmospheric conditions is associated with the spectral line emissions of cyanide (CN) and carbon (C). Immediately after the laser pulse, these emissions are spectrally and temporally resolved and recorded with the use of fibre optics. For the sake of simplicity, only the quotients of the "early" and "late" LIBS intensities are measured by the method thus developed. These quotients yield an unambiguous spectroscopic "fingerprint" and allow a mutual distinction among various explosive substances as well as a distinction of the explosive substances from plastics and other organic materials. The use of miniaturised laser and fibre-optics technology permits the integration of the entire system into a typical mine detection needle. Consequently, mine clearing personnel who employ an "intelligent" mine detection needle of this type for "poking about" in the ground also receive additional optical information as to whether a mine or a harmless tin can is present. Thus, this development provides an important contribution for decreasing the risk and false alarm frequency during humanitarian mine detection and clearing operations.
This research project has been developed in cooperation with the Wehrwissenschaftliches Institut für Werk-, Explosiv- Betriebsstoffe of the Bundeswehr and with Systektum GmbH in Flensburg.
Clausthal, Technische Universitaet
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