Thin Pulse Experiments Performed Using the TATB-Based Explosives LX-17 and PBX9502

Experiments were performed to measure the thin pulse shock initiation of the TATB-based explosive formulations, LX-17 and PBX 9502, at ambient temperature to understand the failure threshold. A thin stainless steel flyer plate backed by a low-density foam was used to generate the thin pulse. Impact velocity and flyer thicknesses were varied such that experiments were performed both above and below the transition to detonation threshold. One goal of these experiments was to bridge the data gap between very thin higher velocity "electric gun" experiments and longer sustained-pulse gas gun shock initiation. The experiments provide data for modelling and simulation comparisons, particularly improvements in the regime where TATB-based reaction kinetics may play a role in whether transition or failure is observed. A discussion of this work will include the experimental parameters, data analysis, run-distance-to-detonation or failure characteristics, possible comparisons to modelling and simulation results, as well as suggestions for future experiments. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.