A possibility for standoff bomb detection

The response functions of backscattered photons, which are initially collimated with an energy of 662 keV, were obtained by a Monte Carlo method in an NaI(Tl) scintillation detector using a suitcase or briefcase full of paper, clothing, ammonium nitrate or other generic explosives, as these can be used for terrorism. The results show that characteristic response functions for ammonium nitrate and generic explosives may be found, and using this information, standoff detection of these materials may be possible. - Highlights: • The response functions of backscattered photons. • The characteristic response functions for ammonium nitrate and generic explosives. • The response functions in an NaI(Tl) detector for explosives and other materials. • The method can be applied to various detector geometries