Pushbroom imaging based on laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy for fast powder analysis

Abstract

Letter bombs sent via the postal service are designed with the intention to injure or kill the recipient when opened. A related threat is mail containing unidentified powders or chemicals, like the anthrax or rizin attacks. A fast reconnaissance can prevent human contact to such hazardous, often unknown CBE materials from intended and accidental release. That’s why the DLR Institute of Technical Physics develops suitable methods and instruments – mainly based on laser spectroscopic techniques – to detect threats and evaluate them for being able to take appropriate countermeasures. For remote analysis of unknown powders, we have developed a laboratory setup based on laserinduced fluorescence spectroscopy. By fanning out the laser beam to a laser line in one direction and scanning the sample with a motorized stage along the second axis, perpendicular to the laser line, this specific system is capable of performing laser-induced fluorescence pushbroom-imaging on pure powder samples.