Application of time-resolved spectroscopies to the study of energetic materials, 1982

The research described in this report is a continuation of an experimental program to apply short pulse laser techniques to determine the critical reactions that lead to explosions and detonations in energetic materials. The objectives of the program are to identify, and where possible, control the important initial stages of energetic reactions. In order to accomplish this, laser techniques are being applied to initiate the reactions and to probe (with the requisite time resolution of ca. 10-11 sec.) the subsequent chemistry. Previously, we have employed picosecond bursts of UV laser radiation to (nearly) instantaneously deposit significant amounts of energy in small relevant molecules and have applied ultrafast spectroscopy to follow the subsequent molecular fragmentation and photophysics. This work has been quite successful and we summarize results in Section B. Because shock plays such an important role in the detonation process, greater emphasis will be placed on initiating chemistry with laser driven shocks in FY83 and in future years.