Features

• Covers basic chemical reactivity of explosives and drugs as well as the theoretical approach of analysis by PLM
• Provides a historical timeline that also offers the tools needed to perform this kind of analysis
• Serves as an instructional guide for the identification of drugs and explosives
• Includes 500 color photographs and photomicrographs that provide detailed descriptions of the compounds analyzed

Summary

Ideal as both an instructional guide for professionals and as a laboratory manual for students, this comprehensive reference takes an in-depth look at the theory of polarized light microscopy and its modernization into mainstream forensic applications. Specifically, the authors examine the numerous benefits of using polarized light microscopy for drug and explosive analysis. The text presents over 500 color photographs and photomicrographs that illustrate the various compounds that are described in the book. A brief historical timeline as well as detailed discussions of practical techniques and procedures provide what’s needed by scientists to perform this type of analysis.