Low THz Spectroscopy of Some Widely Used Explosives

We investigated resonance spectroscopic features from several widely used explosives materials including RDX and PETN in the low THz range with the goal of understanding the mechanism of interaction between radiation and material in the form of solid films, gels and dilute solutions (suspensions). FTIR spectroscopy was used to measure spectra in transmission and reflection modes. We demonstrated that very small amount of material with a simple sample preparation technique can be used still providing very accurate results. Spectral features are specific not only for main ingredients but for modifications with different plasticizers. The consistency of results for different amount of material was observed. Computational modeling confirmed the lowest frequency modes