Planarity of shock wave from explosive plane wave generator

Abstract

In a case of our small-scale experiments we are often facing the trouble with a non - planar shock wave front generated by a detonation of high explosive. For many applications in detonics and shock wave physics the shock front planarity is a necessary precondition. The cost and availability of commercial plane wave generators forced us to test alternatives that would lead to a cheap plane wave generator with minimal amount of explosive. In this paper we are briefly summarizing our results from several approaches tested to shape the detonation front. We began with measurement of detonation front curvature of bare A-IX-1 charge in few different L/d ratios and studied the usability of the central part for various diameters. Then, a simple conical inert PMMA insert was tested followed by setup using accelerated aluminum cone. Most recently, we tried approach using inert metal ring inserted between two A-IX-1 charges to create a planar shock front. The planarity was evaluated by ultra-high-speed imaging, passive optical system OPTIMEX and laser interferometry (PDV).