I NMR Remote Sensing: Does US Army Detect Buried Weapons?

Click For Summary
The discussion centers on the feasibility of using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) for detecting buried weapons by the US Army. While NMR can theoretically work on the ground, it requires a strong magnetic field, which is not achievable from space, making satellite detection impractical. Low-field NMR, which utilizes the Earth's magnetic field, is mentioned as a potential method, but it necessitates advanced sensors and a well-shielded environment. Ground-penetrating radar is highlighted as a more effective alternative for detecting underground objects. Overall, while there are advancements in NMR technology, the application for remote sensing from satellites remains fictional.
seanscon
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
TL;DR
It should be possible to detect RF radiation from NMR of ground targets - but does anyone know of an actual algorithm ??
Hi

I was watching

Generally - you can activate use a strong magnetic field on ground, perturb it, and the pick the signal up with a satellite. The result would be in 60 to 1000 MHz ( VHF Television ) by a satellite.

But the post also says, that US army is using it to detect burried weapons.

Does anyone know how such a thing would provide the magnetic field? Is Earth's magnetic field sufficient

Does anyone know some details? Some algorithms that can actually perform this work?

Any publication would be wonderful as well.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
seanscon said:
Summary:: It should be possible to detect RF radiation from NMR of ground targets - but does anyone know of an actual algorithm ??

But the post also says, that US army is using it to detect burried weapons.
Welcome to PF.
Don't believe anything seen on "The Curse of Oak Island". It is not a peer reviewed journal.
The curse is that it will waste your time and your life.

Even though NMR can work on the ground, and satellites can "see" things from high above, NMR imaging requires you put the article in a strong magnetic field like a hospital scanner.

Ground penetrating radar is less limited by ground conditions than is NMR.
There will be no articles about NMR imaging from space. It is a fiction.
 
  • Like
Likes berkeman and sophiecentaur
Baluncore said:
Even though NMR can work on the ground, and satellites can "see" things from high above, NMR imaging requires you put the article in a strong magnetic field like a hospital scanner.
That is not entirely correct. There is a such as thing as low-field NMR, where the Earth's field is used.
The key idea is -obviously- to just use very good sensors (SQUIDs or more recently vapour cells) for the detection. Much of this research has been funded by the US military since one application is detection of explosives. It could in theory also be used for medical purposes (MRI scanners), although the resolution is not great.
That said, low field NMR only works in a well shielded environment (although you can use active shielding rather than mu-metal) and there is definitely no way to detect the signal from space.
 
Last edited:
Quick question that I haven't been able to find the answer to. Greenhouse gasses both warm and cool the atmosphere by slowing heat loss to space. But what would happen without GHGs? I read that the earth would be colder (though still relatively warm), but why? Without GHGs the atmosphere would still be a similar mass and still warmed by conduction from the surface, yet without a means to radiate that heat to space. Why wouldn't the atmosphere accumulate heat over time, becoming warmer? How...

Similar threads

Replies
19
Views
5K
Replies
11
Views
27K
Replies
13
Views
4K