High-speed X-ray and Microwave Interferometry to Inform Explosive Safety

Understanding the mechanisms that lead to explosive ignition and detonation is of vital importance for explosive system safety. The majority of non-fire-related accidents involving explosives are caused by low-speed impacts. Examining impact on explosives can be difficult using optical imaging systems alone, as the explosive is often contained in opaque confinement vessels and may also be obscured by smoke and flames. Data from a high-speed X-ray videos system developed at LLNL can help inform our understanding of the conditions needed for ignition and detonation, and, in combination with microwave interferometry to verify explosive detonation, will help answer important safety-related explosives questions.