The Detonation Electric Effect

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Abstract
Electromagnetic signals have been found to originate from the wave fronts in detonating high explosives. The effect is that of small positive electric charge on the detonation front. For the liquid explosive, nitromethane, the amplitude of the detected signal increases smoothly as the wave approaches the detector. For particulate explosives there is superimposed on the signal a complex oscillatory pattern, the amplitude and frequency distribution of which are dependent on the kind of explosive, the particle size, and the presence of macroscopic disturbances of the detonation wave. Signal detection is achieved with an external passive probe, which has no effect on the explosive system under investigation and requires only a high‐speed oscilloscope to record detonation events. These signals form the basis of a powerful new method for studying propagation times, initiation phenomena, and the structure of the detonation front.

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