INITIATION OF SECONDARY EXPLOSIVES BY MEANS OF LASER RADIATION
Abstract
An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the feasibility of directly detonating secondary explosives by means of radiation from a ruby laser (6943A). The secondary explosives included PETN, HMX, RDX, and tetryl. Most of the effort was devoted to a statistical evaluation of the initiation energy required for PETN. For the most part, powdered explosives were used; however, a limited effort also was expended on large single crystals. The use of a light guide as a means of transporting energy was also examined. It was established that although a highly sensitive mixture can be detonated through a light guide, the attenuation of the radiation is too great to make this method practical for secondary explosives. A bivariate dependence of the probability of initiation on both power and energy is indicated. The effectiveness of the experimental techniques of power evaluation was, however, limited by the speed of the equipment used.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0688585
Entities
People
- Edward G. Kessler
- Modesto J. Barbarisi
Organizations
- Picatinny Arsenal