Phenomena Associated with the Flight of Ultra-Speed Pellets. Part III. General Features of Luminosity

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Abstract
Ultra-speed pellets of the lighter metals such as aluminum and magnesium generate intensely luminous trails when fired through air. A pronounced characteristic of the luminous trails is the intermittent manner in which the light is emitted. This effect has also been observed in meteors and in studies of conventional shaped charges. Photographs indicate that flashing is caused by yawing of the pellet. The brilliant flashes of light are associated with the ablation and subsequent burning of material from the pellet. There is evidence that the material is removed from the pellet in the form of small droplets. The brightness, luminous output, and temperature of the trail generated by an aluminum pellet have been measured. The brightness is approximately 25,000 lamberts, the luminous output is 30,000 lumen-seconds, and the color temperature is 2900°K.

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