NCJ Number
15560
Date Published
1974
Length
205 pages
Annotation
HIGHLIGHTS OF MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS OF THIS PROGRAM DESIGNED TO DEVELOP WAYS OF USING NUCLEAR ACTIVATION ANALYSIS FOR EVIDENCE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS AND TO INTRODUCE SOME OF THESE METHODS TO THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE.
Abstract
ONE OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THIS INVESTIGATION WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 'FILM-LIFT TECHNIQUE', A METHOD OF COLLECTING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE DURING INVESTIGATIONS OF CRIMES INVOLVING THE USE OF FIREARMS. RADIOCHEMICAL METHODS WERE ALSO DEVELOPED FOR ANALYZING THE TRACE ELEMENTS (BARIUM, ANTIMONY, COPPER, GOLD), WHICH ARE CHARACTERISTIC CONSTITUENTS OF FIREARM DISCHARGE RESIDUES. IN ADDITION, THIS PROGRAM UNDERTOOK A MODIFIED APPROACH TO HAIR ANALYSIS BY ISOLATING THE TRACE ELEMENT CONSTITUENTS OF SURFACE CONTAMINANTS OF HAIR FROM THOSE OF THE HAIR MATRIX. ALSO DEVELOPED WAS AN OPTIMUM DESIGN OF A SUBCRITICAL ASSEMBLY TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM ENHANCEMENT OF NEUTRON SOURCES OF A MAN-MADE RADIOISOTOPE USED IN NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS.