2019 Physics/Theoretical Colloquium

 

Thursday, November 7th , 2019

3:45 – 4:45 p.m.

Rosen Auditorium (TA-53, Bldg. 001)

 

Refreshments at 3:15pm

 

Speaker:   Dr. Shawn D. Mcgrane

M-9: SHOCK AND DETONATION PHYSICS

Los Alamos National Laboratory

 

“Shock induced chemistry in explosives”

Abstract: 

 

High explosives are fascinating materials where compilations of organic molecular crystals can sit by idly for decades, then upon command, release several megajoules of energy per kilogram in microseconds, accompanied by massive volume expansion. This rapid release of stored energy is accomplished through shock induced chemistry. Significant efforts are underway to improve our ability to predict shock induced chemistry with the goal of enabling more predictive reactive burn models. This lecture will attempt to introduce the audience to the problem and current state of the art by addressing the questions:

Why is shock induced chemistry in explosives important?

What do we know about shock induced chemistry, and how do we know it?

Can shock induced chemistry in HE be viewed as mechanics -> temperature -> chemistry?

What are the options for including more realistic chemistry in reactive burn models? 
How are we currently obtaining the data on shock induced chemistry, through collaborations between experiment and theory, needed to calibrate next generation reactive burn models?