Origin of Detonation-Generated Ionization Waves

Abstract

The high electron density which exists in the external ionization wave that propagates away from the free surface of a detonating explosive was investigated by electrostatic probes and an impurity-doping method. Two impurities, potassium nitrate and cesium nitrate, were added to RDX in different molar concentrations. The conduction in the ionization wave was measured by the electrostatic probe technique. The increased maximum conduction at the front of the ionization wave and the increased thickness of the wave for doped RDX as compared with conduction measurements obtained with pure RDX were discussed in terms of two current models for the origin of the ionization wave - the shock wave model and the detonation generated plasma model.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 15, 1965
Accession Number
AD0629231

Entities

People

  • Dix A. Newell
  • Melvin A. Cook

Organizations

  • University of Utah

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Blast
  • Capacitors
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Detonation Waves
  • Detonations
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Electrostatic Probes
  • Explosives
  • Free Electrons
  • High Explosives
  • Ionization
  • Ionization Potentials
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Shock Waves
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Agricultural Chemistry/Soil Science
  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics