Posted on 08/03/2003 1:14:40 AM PDT by yonif
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Bomb disposal experts may soon have an alternative to their hazardous hands-on duties, thanks to a laser detector under development at Israel's nuclear research center. The instrument uses a laser beam's ultra-violet spectrum to "light up" molecules in fumes given off by TNT explosives from a distance of eight feet, a spokesman at Nahal Soreq said Wednesday.
"This project was launched in the 1990s to contend with the threat of terrorist smugglers on our borders," the spokesman said of the prototype, for which no marketing date has been set.
"The benefits to the wider world post-Sept. 11 are also clear," he said, referring to the 2001 hijacking attacks on the United States which put a new premium on security technology.
Israel currently uses dogs and special machines to "sniff" out explosives at its boundaries with the Palestinian territories. Another method is to wipe down suspect objects and then inspect the cloth for bomb residue.
According to the spokesman, Nahal Soreq intends to expand the laser detector's operating range to 30 feet.
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