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Low temperature dielectric properties of ammonium nitrate in terahertz regime

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is a nondestructive method that has the ability to identify many hazardous materials by investigating their low frequency vibrational modes (0.1-6.0 THz). Ammonium nitrate (AN), often used in improvised explosives, exhibits featureless reflection/transmission spectrum at THz frequencies at room temperature. However, the low frequency vibrational modes exhibit strong temperature dependence below room temperature (<240k) due to the polymorphic phase transitions. In this work, we study the effective dielectric properties of AN embedded in a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) host medium using terahertz time domain spectroscopy in the temperature ranging from 5K to 300K. The dielectric properties of pure AN were extracted using three different effective medium theories (EMT): (i) the simple effective medium approach, (ii) the Maxwell-Garnett (MG) model, and (iii) the Bruggeman (BR) model. The dielectric properties obtained from theoretical approximations agree well with the experimental values. We identified six lattice vibrational modes between 0.2-3.0 THz that are associated with the polymorphic phase transitions at low temperature.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationNext-Generation Spectroscopic Technologies XI
EditorsMark A. Druy, Steven M. Barnett, Luisa T.M. Profeta, Richard A. Crocombe, Abul K. Azad
PublisherUnknown Publisher
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781510618251
DOIs
StatePublished - May 14 2018
EventNext-Generation Spectroscopic Technologies XI 2018 -
Duration: May 14 2018 → …

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume10657
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Conference

ConferenceNext-Generation Spectroscopic Technologies XI 2018
Period05/14/18 → …

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