Molecular thermometry of energetic materials
When a solid object with a velocity <1 km/s strikes a solid high explosive, the increase in the bulk temperature of the explosive is usually too low to thermally initiate it. It is believed, however, that the energy in the stress or shock wave created by the impact can heat individual microscopic regions that ignite and cause detonation. Although many mechanisms have been suggested for how the impact energy creates these hot spots, there has been no real-time observation of their growth at early times because of their small dimensions (estimated to be 0.1--10 {micro}m), the short times required for their growth (estimated to be 0.5 {micro}s--1 ms), and because their temperatures are too low (estimated to be <2,000 K) for them to radiate much energy in the visible. One possible way to observe early hot-spot growth is to measure temperature-dependent changes in the optical properties--absorbance, diffuse reflection, Raman spectra--of either the components of the explosive or of molecules attached to them. This temperature measurement technique is called molecular thermometry. Molecular thermometers can respond to heating within a few picoseconds with spatial resolution that can, in principle, approach the diameter of a single molecule. Temperatures as high as 900 C have been measured by molecular thermometers in laser-pulse-heated polymers. The authors discuss the literature pertaining to molecular thermometry, the effect of stress on the optical properties of some molecules that may be used as thermometers, and experiments that have used molecular thermometry to probe, on the picosecond time scale, shock excitation of the vibrational modes of molecules of energetic material. The authors also suggest ways to use molecular thermometers to observe hot-spot formation in PBX9501, a plastic-bonded explosive, subjected to impact.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 505270
- Report Number(s):
- LA-13269-MS; TRN: AHC29716%%21
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jul 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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