SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR LASER ILLUMINATION ON EXPOSED HIGH EXPLOSIVES AND METALS IN CONTACT WITH HIGH EXPLOSIVES WITH CALCULATIONAL RESULTS

摘要

Experimental tests have been undertaken to determine safe levels of laser exposure on bare high explosive (HE) samples and on common metals used in intimate contact with HE. Laser light is often focused on bare HE and upon metals in contact with HE during alignment procedures and experimental metrology experiments. This paper looks at effects caused by focusing laser beams at high energy densities directly onto the surface of various bare HE samples. Laser energy densities (fluence) exceeding 19 kilo watts/cm~2 using a 5-milliwatt, 670 nm, cw laser diode were generated by focusing the laser down to a spot size diameter of 4 microns. Upon careful inspection, no laser damage was observed in any of the HE samples illuminated at this fluence level. Direct laser exposure of metals directly contacting HE surfaces was also tested. Laser energy densities (fluence) varying from 188 Watts/cm~2 to 12.7 KW/cm~2 were generated using an 11-Watt, 532 nm frequency-doubled Nd:YAG cw laser with focal spot size diameters as small as 100 microns. These measurements look at the temperature rise of the surface of the metal in contact with HE when laser energy is incident on the opposite side of the metal. The temperature rise was experimentally measured as a function of incident laser power, spot size, metal composition and metal thickness. Numerical simulations were also performed to solve the two-dimensional heat flow problem for this experimental geometry. In order to simplify the numerical simulation to allow representation of a large number of physical cases, the equations used in the simulation are expressed in terms of dimensionless variabJes. The normalized numerical solutions are then compared to the various experimental configurations utilized. Calculations and experiment agree well over the range measured. Safety guidelines for alignment laser illumination upon bare HE are outlined.