Velocity measurements of laser driven flyers backed by high impedance windows

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5398377

Sheffield, S A; Rogers, Jr, J W; Castaneda, J N

Because of possible applications to inertial confinement fusion, the response of free-standing foils to laser intensity levels of 10/sup 3/ to 10/sup 6/ GW/cm/sup 2/ has been well characterized. Our interest is in characterizing the response of free-standing and backed foils at much lower intensities, i.e., in the region of 1 to 20 GW/cm/sup 2/, and using these flyers to initiate insensitive secondary high explosives. The output of a 3.5-J Nd:glass laser with a 16 ns pulse was used to drive 1.5-mm-diameter aluminum (Al) flyers. The velocities of both free-standing flyers and flyers backed on the driven side by windows of water, fused silica, or sapphire were measured using ORVIS (Optically Recording Velocity Interferometer System). Intensities were on the order of 10 GW/cm/sup 2/ and velocities as high as 5 km/s were measured for 13-..mu..m/thick, Al flyers. Velocity and acceleration were observed to vary only slightly with the shock impedance of the window. Preliminary measurements indicate that PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) at a density of 1.4 grams/cm/sup 3/, and HNS-FP (hexanitrostilbene-fine particle) at a density of 1.6 grams/cm/sup 3/, can be promptly detonated by 66-..mu..m-thick, Al flyers impacting at a velocity of near 2.5 km/s.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5398377
• Report Number(s): SAND-85-1235C; CONF-850736-30; ON: DE85015142
• Resource Relation: Conference: American Physical Society topical conference on shock waves in condensed matter, Spokane, WA, USA, 22 Jul 1985
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
FOILS
ACCELERATION
LASER TARGETS
ALUMINIUM
LASER RADIATION
SILICA
VELOCITY
WATER
WINDOWS
CHALCOGENIDES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
METALS
MINERALS
OPENINGS
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
TARGETS
700208* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Inertial Confinement Technology