A Possible Way for the Detection and Identification of Dangerous Substances in Ternary Mixtures Using THz Pulsed Spectroscopy

We discuss an effective tool for the detection and identification of substances in ternary mixtures with similar spectral properties using a broadband reflected THz signal. Nowadays, this is an urgent problem; its effective solution is still far off. Two ternary mixtures of the explosives (RDX+TNT+HMX and RDX+TNT+PETN) were used as the examples for demonstration of the efficiency of the method proposed. The identification is based on the pulsed THz spectroscopy. We follow the spectral intensities together with the use of integral correlation criteria. They use the spectral line dynamics of the THz pulse reflected from the substance under investigation and that of the standard THz signal from database. In order to increase the accuracy and reliability of the identification, we analyze the partial non-overlapping time intervals, containing the main pulse of the reflected THz signal and the sequential sub-pulses. The main pulse is shown to contain information about high absorption frequencies (ν > 2.6 THz) of the mixture components. In the sub-pulses, the absorption frequencies of the components are detected in the range of low (ν < 2.6 THz) and high (ν > 2.6 THz) frequencies. The opportunity of distinguishing the mixtures with similar spectral properties is also shown.