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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

A new LIHE (Light Initiated High Explosive) test capability for spherical targets

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6716760

A goal of the Defense Nuclear Agency Lethality and Target Hardening (LTH-3) Program is to assess the lethality of the x-ray laser against the SDI threat entourage of boosters, post-boost vehicles (PBVs), reentry vehicles, and defense suppression weapons (DSWs). A principal characteristic of the effects of the x-ray laser on such threats is the delivery of a cosine distributed impulsive load to exposed curved surfaces of the targets. The LTH-3 program is using test and analysis techniques to investigate the structural response of models of typical targets and target components subjected to impulsive flood loads. A new capability for testing spherical targets using Light Initiated High Explosive (LIHE) is the subject of this paper. Spherical targets are of interest to LTH-3 since vulnerable pressurant, propellant, and chemical reactant storage vessels in PBVs and DSWs are likely to be generally spherical in design.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
6716760
Report Number(s):
SAND-86-2366C; CONF-870398-1-Summ.; ON: DE87003035
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English