Forensic methods of non-destructive testing: development prospects

The paper presents a brief overview of modern physicochemical methods that do not destroy the objects of research. Analysis of the analytical capabilities and physical principles underlying the methods under consideration allows us to determine promising areas of their application in the field of forensic research of substances and materials. In connection with the large leap forward in the scientific and technical equipment of the underworld, the requirements for expert research methods have correspondingly increased. From a number of physicochemical methods that are non-destructive of the objects under study, several are distinguished that meet modern high requirements, with simple sample preparation and available technical equipment, including Raman spectroscopy, the method of Rutherford scattering. These methods make it possible to perform non-destructive analysis of the elemental composition and structure of a sample in the near-surface region, subject to simple sample preparation and a large amount of information obtained about the object. The paper considers the modern direction of implementation of the achievements of scientific and technological progress in expert practice, such as nanodiagnostics. Its capabilities and development prospects are noted on the example of investigating forensic objects by atomic probe microscopy. The paper also formulates the possibilities of using mathematical modeling as a method of non-destructive testing, as a «tool» for interpreting the empirical results of studies of the properties of forensic objects.