An empirical fast-neutron technique for detection of explosive-like materials

A method for detecting explosives in airport baggage using fast-neutron scattering and transmission measurements is presented. Ammonium nitrate (a commercial fertilizer) is used in the laboratory to simulate an explosive-like substance. The measurements are combined in Cartesian maps of normalized pairs of measurements. The existence of fertilizer manifests itself in these maps within a distinct region which is not significantly altered by the presence of surrounding materials. Monte Carlo simulations further confirm this phenomenon. (orig.)