Investigation of atmospheric blasts by fast radiometry

Blasts and detonations release large amount of energy in short time duration. Some of this energy is released through radiation in the whole optical spectrum. Measurement of this radiation may serve as a base for investigation of the blast phenomena. A fast multispectral radiometer that operates in proper chosen spectral bands provides extensive information on the physical processes that govern the blast. This information includes the time dependence of the temperature, area of the blast as-well-as of the aerosols and gases that are generated. Analysis of this data indicates the order of the detonation and provides good estimation on the masses and types of the high-explosives (HE) materials and their casing. This paper presents the methodology and instrumentation of fast multispectral radiometry in application to the blast measurement and analysis in a Near-ground Explosion Test (NET). In NET, the flash radiation of the blast was measured for two HE materials: TNT and composition B (CB). The investigation includes charges of different masses (0.25 - 20.0 kg) and of various casing materials (steel, Al, PVC), thickness (2 – 6 mm) and various casing type (open on both face ends and hermetically closed). Analysis of the data demonstrates the power of fast radiometry methodology and reveals the governing characteristics of atmospheric blasts.