Experimentally Interrogating Detonation Chemistry on Sub-Nanosecond to 100-Nanosecond Timescales

Executive Summary

This project will experimentally interrogate chemistry during detonation with x-ray diffraction and x-ray core-level Raman spectroscopy at sub-100-nanosecond timescales using intense pulsed x-rays. The new methodologies will answer longstanding questions in detonation physics, enable unprecedented experimental measurement of chemical reactions during detonation, and lead, ultimately, to improved ability to predict detonation performance and design of new explosives.

Publications, Presentations, and Patents

Willey, Trevor M., Jonathan RI Lee, Daniel Brehmer, Oscar A Paredes Mellone, Lasse Landt, Peter R Schreiner, Andrey A Fokin, Boryslav A Tkachenko, Armin de Meijere, Sergei Kozhushkov, Anthony W van Buuren. 2021. “X-Ray Spectroscopic Identification of Strain and Structure-Based Resonances in a Series of Saturated Carbon-Cage Molecules: Adamantane, Twistane, Octahedrane, and Cubane.” Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, 39 (5) 053208. https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001150.

Mellone, Pscar Paredes, Dimosthenis Sokaras, Trevor Willey, Mike Nielsen, and Arianna Gleason. “High Explosives Studied by X-Ray Raman Spectroscopy at SSRL.” Poster presented at the LCLS/SSRL Users’ Meeting. September 2021.

Taylor, G.V., J. A. Hammons, “Resolving Nanodiamond Diffraction During Detonation of High Explosives. ”American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2022.

Paredes-Mellone, O.A., D. Sokaras, T. M. Willey, M. H. Nielsen, and A. E. Gleason, “Unimolecular Decomposition of High Explosives Observed by X-Ray Raman Scattering,” Inelastic X-Ray Scattering Conference, Oxford, United Kingdom. August 2022.