Ionization Waves from Free Surfaces of Detonating Explosives.
Abstract
Ionization waves ejected from the free surface of condensed high explosives in various gaseous media at ambient (about 645 mm) and 0.5 mm Hg pressures are described. Framing camera and streak camera photographs correlated with electrical conduction measurements showed a highly ionized, either highly luminous or completely transparent, precursor wave led both the shock wave and the main products of detonation propagated from the free surface. At 0.5 mm Hg this wave was transparent and non-luminous, but it always produced a burst of luminosity upon collision with the end plate of the vacuum chamber several microseconds before the opaque detonation products impacted the end plate. Measured ionization wave pressures were in general several times greater than the pressures computed by shock wave theory for the observed velocity and initial pressure and up to 20 times greater than for the shock computed by the impedance mismatch equation. The waves from the explosive free surface appear to be highly ionized material radiated from the free surface of the explosive. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 07, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0266788
Entities
People
- Adrian Bauer
- L. A. Rogers
- M. A. Cook
Organizations
- University of Utah