Near-MHz temperature and HO measurements in post-detonation fireballs of 25 g hemispherical explosives using scanned-wavelength-modulation spectroscopy.

A laser absorption spectroscopy diagnostic integrated within a hardened optical probe was used to measure temperature and water mole fraction at 500 kHz in post-detonation fireballs of explosives. In the experiments, an exploding-bridgewire detonator initiated a 25 g hemisphere of explosive (N5 or PETN). This produced a hemispherical fireball that traveled radially towards a hardened measurement probe.