Personnel Marking and Detection Based upon the PLASMA CHROMATOGRAPHY (Trade name) Concept.
Abstract
The method of detection of concealed personnel described in this report relies on a new approach to the measurement of materials in the gaseous state. This approach involves the separation of various ions based upon their mobilities. This analytical technique depends upon a multiple-step process. In the initial step low energy electrons are attached by the oxygen molecules in the air. These primary oxygen ions then interact with certain other trace materials in the air to form secondary ions having appreciably different mobilities from the original primary ions. These ion-molecule interactions lead to very high system sensitivities. The combination of ion-molecule interactions, followed by separation of primary and secondary ions based upon ion mobility, is the basic system concept. A number of human effluents, compounds unique to man and compounds produced by man in interaction with his environment, were shown to be suitable for detection of concealed personnel using this concept. From those available a candidate material was chosen for this program based upon its extremely high attachment cross section, relatively high vapor pressure, and production rate. The laboratory model has detected the candidate material in both dry air and air at 50% relative humidity at levels of 0.1 ppb. Although the sensitivity of the device is maintained in moist air, the specificity is lessened. At higher candidate material concentrations, on the order of 10 ppb, the specificity is adequate in both dry and moist air. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1968
- Accession Number
- AD0395640
Entities
People
- David I. Carroll