Summary
When a shot is fired, the projectile and the cartridge case are released from the weapon, as well as components of the priming charge and propellant, the so-called powder-gunshot residues. In order to solve firearm offences, it is therefore very important to determine the topography of trace-bearing areas on the bullet and the cartridge case, as well as the chemical composition of gunshot residue particles. Gunshot residue particles are made visible with the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and are analysed by means of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) and lately also by means of wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDXS). In addition to this, analyses of these particles are displayed by means of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and depth profiles are prepared. To determine the local distributions of gunshot residue elements with regard to their quantity, the direct Zeeman atomic absorption spectroscopy (DZ-AAS) is employed. Besides the determination of the chemical composition, the topography of the trace-bearing areas on the bullet and cartridge case plays an important part. For the detection of these surfaces, light optical and electron-optical methods are employed. Moreover, the use of opto-electronical testing systems has been attracting more and more attention recently.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lichtenberg W (1990) Neue Zeitschrift für Strafrecht 4:154–164
Leszczynski Ch (1959) Kriminalistik 13:377–382
Lichtenberg W (1987) Fresenius Z Anal Chem 328:367–369
Lichtenberg W (1985) Verlag Franz Deuticke, Wien, Beiträge zur gerichtlichen Medizin 43:293–300
Lichtenberg W (1983) Kriminalistik 12:590–594
Hellmiß G, Lichtenberg W, Weiss M (1987) J Forensic Sci JFSCA 32:747–760
Katterwe H, Goebel R, Grooss KD (1980) BEDO 13:197
Katterwe H, Goebel R, Grooss KD (1982) Scanning Electron Microscopy 499
Robinson V (1987) BEDO 20:83 BEDO 20:83
Katterwe H, Radke B (1986) BEDO 19:89
Katterwe H, Deinet W (1983) Arch Kriminol 171:78
Katterwe H, Grooss KD, Gast T, Mielke T (1988) Archiv für Kriminologie 181:65
Pahlke W, Gast T, Röck H, Katterwe H (1990) Deutscher Verband für Materialprüfung, Rastermikroskopie in der Materialprüfung, Berlin
Brodmann R (1987) Technische Rundschau 39
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wenz, H.W., Lichtenberg, W.J. & Katterwe, H. Surface analysis and surface measuring techniques in firearm offences. Fresenius J Anal Chem 341, 155–165 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00321540
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00321540