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Researchers using magnetic signals have discovered unique "footprints" on steel, which could help verify the treaties on weapons and reduce the use of counterfeit locks in the construction industry .
"Magnetic signals offer a wide range of possible national security applications," said David Mascareñas, research and development engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratory and lead author of the recently published study in the journal Smart Materials. and Structures. "This is a promising phenomenon that we hope to exploit to uniquely identify different pieces of artillery."
As part of the research, funded by the US State Department, researchers applied the Barkhausen noise, a magnetic phenomenon, to two types of steel: conventional steel and a type of steel resistant to abrasion used in mining equipment. A sensor measured electromagnetic signals by repeatedly scanning different types of steel over a period of time. The researchers compared the signals from these two sets of digitized images and found signatures essential to each type of steel.
Variations resulting from the production of various types of steel are reflected as separate fingerprints. "They seem reproducible," Mascareñas said.
This intrinsic signature could help discover counterfeit or substandard steel parts in construction by looking for differences in electromagnetic signatures. "It could also help solve this big problem in this industry," said Mascareñas.
Future research could include the study of other types of steel and the development of a hand-held sensor for treaty verification.
Publication: Barkhausen noise as an intrinsic fingerprint of ferromagnetic components in intelligent materials and structures. Authors: David Mascareñas, Michelle Lockhart, Thomas LienertFunding: US Department of State – Key Asset Audit Fund.
About Los Alamos National Laboratory The Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institute specializing in strategic science for national security, is managed by Triad, a scientific organization dedicated to security sciences and national security. equally by its three founding members: the Battelle Memorial Institute. Battelle), the Texas A & M University System (TAMUS) and the Regents of the University of California (UC) for the National Department of Nuclear Safety Department of Energy.
Los Alamos strengthens national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the US nuclear stock, by developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction and by solving energy-related problems. Environment, infrastructure, health and global security.
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More information:
David Mascareñas et al, the Barkhausen noise as an intrinsic fingerprint of ferromagnetic components, Smart materials and structures (2018). DOI: 10.1088 / 1361-665X / aae762
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