Surface contamination detection by means of near-infrared stimulation of thermal luminescence

A method for remotely detecting liquid chemical contamination on terrestrial surfaces is presented. Concurrent to irradiation by an absorbing near-infrared beam, the subject soil medium liberates radiance called thermal luminescence (TL) comprising middle-infrared energies ((nu)mir) that is scanned interferometrically in beam duration (tau). Cyclic states of absorption and emission by the contaminant surrogate are rendered from a sequential differential-spectrum measurement [(delta)S((nu)mir,(tau))] of the scanned TL. Detection of chemical warfare agent simulant wetting soil is performed in this manner, for example, through pattern recognition of its unique, thermally dynamic, molecular vibration resonance bands on display in the (delta)S((nu)mir,(tau)) metric.