NCJ Number
1909
Date Published
1970
Length
261 pages
Annotation
APPLICATIONS OF NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS TO BALLISTICS INVESTIGATION AND DEFINITION OF RELEVANT PARAMETERS FOR MAKING JUDGMENTS FOR PURPOSES OF EVIDENCE.
Abstract
DURING THE SIX-YEAR PERIOD FROM MAY 1, 1962 THROUGH MAY 31, 1968, THE ACTIVATION ANALYSIS GROUP OF GULF GENERAL ATOMIC INCORPORATED VIGOROUSLY ADDRESSED THE POSSIBLE FORENSIC APPLICATIONS OF THERMAL NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS (TNAA) AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT, OTHER VARIATIONS OF ACTIVATION ANALYSIS. A SUPERIOR MEANS OF ASCERTAINING WHETHER A PERSON HAS FIRED A GUN AND THE NONDESTRUCTIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF A WIDE VARIETY OF EVIDENCE MATERIALS THROUGH THEIR MAJOR AND TRACE ELEMENT CONTENTS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISH AS POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF NAA IN THIS PROGRAM. THIS WORK HAS GENERALLY EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF POINTS BY WHICH EVIDENCE MATERIALS CAN BE CHARACTERIZED, IT HAS PROVIDED IMPETUS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATISTICAL ACCURACIES WITH WHICH STATEMENTS ABOUT EVIDENCE MATERIALS CAN BE MADE, AND WORK IS CONTINUING TO DEFINE RELEVANT PARAMETERS IN THIS CONNECTION. THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE WORK HAS BEEN A MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF TESTIMONY THAT CAN BE OFFERED REGARDING THE EVIDENCE MATERIALS INVESTIGATED, AND THE CONTINUING WORK WILL LEAD TO FURTHER IMPROVEMENT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED.)