Recently, researchers have shown that they could detect p-nitrotoluene, an explosive, by detecting its nuclear quadrupole resonance. This resonance is at about 887KHz. There is a potential for using htis method for detecting explosives remotely.
Would it also be possible to detonate explosives remotely by exciting unstable nitrogen compounds which have this resonance? Perhaps a microwave beam, modulated at the correct frequency could disrupt the unstable compound and cause it to detonate. If so, this would be a great way of disposing of mines and other ordanance remotely.
Does anyone know if research is being done in this area?
Ref: N nuclear quadrupole resonance of p-nitrotouend using a high_Tc rf SQUID, Institue of Physics Publishing, Supercond. Sci. Technol. 20 (2007) 232-234
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