On the development of a laser detonator

Thomas, Keith; Munger, A.C.; Nunn, Lawrence; Clarke, Steven; Johnson, Michael; Kennedy, James E.; Montoya, David

doi:10.1117/12.618385

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Current optical initiation mechanisms of conventional explosives are indirect thermal or shock processes that require high laser energies. − An optically active HE could open the door toward direct optical initiation through an excited state photodecomposition mechanism. Novel photoactive HEs could utilize multiphoton nonlinear excited state photochemical processes that lead to direct photoinitiation with some possibility of control over the reactive process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photoactive High Explosives: Linear and Nonlinear Photochemistry of Petrin Tetrazine Chloride

et al. 2015

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Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), a high explosive, initiates with traditional shock and thermal mechanisms. In this study, the tetrazine-substituted derivative of PETN, pentaerythritol trinitrate chlorotetrazine (PetrinTzCl), is being investigated for a photochemical initiation mechanism that could allow control over the chemistry contributing to decomposition leading to initiation. PetrinTzCl exhibits a photochemical quantum yield (QYPC) at 532 nm not evident with PETN. Using static spectroscopic methods, we observe energy absorption on the tetrazine (Tz) ring that results in photodissociation yielding N2, Cl-CN, and Petrin-CN as the major photoproducts. The QYPC was enhanced with increasing irradiation intensity. Experiment and theoretical calculations imply this excitation mechanism follows sequential photon absorption. Dynamic simulations demonstrate that the relaxation mechanism leading to the observed photochemistry in PetrinTzCl is due to vibrational excitation during internal conversion. PetrinTzCl's single photon stability and intensity dependence suggest this material could be stable in ambient lighting, yet possible to initiate with short-pulsed lasers.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photoactive High Explosives: Linear and Nonlinear Photochemistry of Petrin Tetrazine Chloride

et al. 2015

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“…Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has designed a series of direct optically initiated (DOI) detonators (1) . These detonators effectively remove the electrically conductive cable that delivers energy to the detonator to initiate detonation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optical initiation spot size effects in low-density PETN

2006

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Los Alamos National Laboratory is currently designing a series of direct optically initiated (DOI) detonators.The primary purpose of this series of detonators is to achieve a level of safety in the face of unintentional initiation from an electrical source. The purpose of these experiments is to determine the minimum spotsize that will initiate the low density initial pressing in these laser detonators. With this information it is expected that a more robust optically initiated detonator can be designed and manufactured. Results from a series of experiments will be discussed. First a range of small core diameter fiber optics with varying energy injection levels will be tested to find the minimum energy level necessary to achieve reliable initiation. Second, a range of apertures will be employed to trim the spotsize down to a minimum size that will still maintain reliable initiation. This information will help to understand whether the initiation criteria for the DOI Laser Detonator are dominated by energy density, total energy or a combination of these criteria.

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Velocity measurements of inert porous materials driven by infrared-laser-ablated thin-film titanium

Bedeaux

Trott

Castañeda

2010

Journal of Applied Physics

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This article presents and interprets a series of experiments performed to measure the velocity of four inert low-density porous materials that were accelerated by an ablated thin-film titanium metal, created by vaporizing a 250-nm-thick layer of titanium with a high-energy, Q-switched, pulsed, and 1.054 μm neodymium-glass laser. Inert powder materials were chosen to match, among other characteristics, the morphology of energetic materials under consideration for use in detonator applications. The observed behavior occurs near the thin-film titanium ablation layer, through complex physical mechanisms, including laser absorption in the metal layer, ablation and formation of confined plasma that is a blackbody absorber of the remaining photon energy, and vaporization of the remaining titanium metal. One-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling provided a basis of comparison with the measured velocities. We found, as predicted in wave-propagation-code modeling, that an Asay foil can indicate total momentum of the driven material that is mechanically softer (lower in shock impedance) than the foil. The key conclusion is that the specific impulse delivered by the laser transfers a corresponding momentum to soft, organic power columns that are readily compacted. Impulse from the laser is less efficient in transferring momentum to hard inorganic particles that are less readily compacted.

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On the development of a laser detonator

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Photoactive High Explosives: Linear and Nonlinear Photochemistry of Petrin Tetrazine Chloride

Photoactive High Explosives: Linear and Nonlinear Photochemistry of Petrin Tetrazine Chloride

Optical initiation spot size effects in low-density PETN

Velocity measurements of inert porous materials driven by infrared-laser-ablated thin-film titanium

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