The evolution of solid density within a thermal explosion II. Dynamic proton radiography of cracking and solid consumption by burning

Journal Article · Tue May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4711072· OSTI ID:22036875

Smilowitz, L; Henson, B F; Romero, J J; Asay, B W; Saunders, A; Merrill, F E; Morris, C L; Kwiatkowski, K; Grim, G; Mariam, F; Schwartz, C L; Hogan, G; Nedrow, P; Murray, M M; Thompson, T N; Espinoza, C; Lewis, D; Bainbridge, J; McNeil, W; Rightley, P ^[1] ; others, and

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

We report proton transmission images obtained subsequent to the laser assisted thermal ignition of a sample of PBX 9501 (a plastic bonded formulation of the explosive nitramine octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX)). We describe the laser assisted thermal ignition technique as a means to synchronize a non-linear thermal ignition event while preserving the subsequent post-ignition behavior. We have obtained dynamic proton transmission images at two spatial magnifications and viewed both the radial and transverse axis of a solid cylindrical sample encased in aluminum. Images have been obtained with 3 to 15 {mu}s temporal resolution and approximately 100 {mu}m spatial resolution at the higher magnification. We observe case expansion from very early in the experiment, until case fragmentation. We observe spatially anisotropic features in the transmission which we attribute to cracking in the solid explosive, in agreement with previous measurements conducted on two dimensional samples with optical viewing. Digital analysis of the images also reveals spatially isotropic features which we attribute to the evolution of the loss of density by burning subsequent to thermal ignition.

• OSTI ID: 22036875
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 111, Issue 10; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ALUMINIUM
ANISOTROPY
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CRACKING
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION
DENSITY
EXPLOSIONS
EXPLOSIVES
FRAGMENTATION
IGNITION
IMAGE PROCESSING
IMAGES
LASER RADIATION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASTICS
PROTON RADIOGRAPHY
SOLIDS
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
THERMAL STRESSES
TRANSMISSION