Spectroscopic Analysis of Time-Resolved Emission from Detonating Thin Film Explosive Samples

We report a series of time-resolved spectroscopic measurements that aim to characterize the reactions that occur during shock initiation of high explosives. The experiments employ time-and wavelength-resolved emission spectroscopy to analyze light emitted from detonating thin explosive films. This paper presents analysis of optical emission spectra from hexanitrostilbene (HNS) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) thin film samples. Both vibrationally resolved and broadband emission features are observed in the spectra and area as electronic transitions of intermediate species.