Varied Thin Pulse Duration Experiments Performed on Insensitive High Explosives

Experiments were performed to measure the thin pulse shock initiation of insensitive high explosive (IHE) formulations at varied pulse durations to build on previous experiments. The goal of these thin pulse experiments is to bridge the gap between shorter duration E-gun tests and longer duration standard shock initiation testing. The thin pulses were generated using stainless steel flyers of varied thicknesses backed by low-density foam on the front of 100 mm diameter projectiles. These flyers were shot at IHE targets at speeds which induced pressures necessary to cause a transition to detonation at ambient temperature. Manganin gauges embedded in the IHE target were used to determine the initial pressure and run-distance to detonation. Data obtained is used to validate and/or calibrate models in development. Test parameters, comparisons to prior testing and simulation results, and future experiments will be discussed. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.