Front curvature rate stick measurements and detonation shock dynamics calibration for PBX 9502 over a wide temperature range

Detonation velocity and wave shape are measured for PBX 9502 (95 wt.% TATB, 5 wt.% Kel-F 800) rate sticks at the temperatures {minus}55, 25, and 75 C. At each temperature three different diameters were fired: 50 mm, 18 mm, and 8, 10, and 12 mm respectively for the hot, ambient, and cold sticks. The measured wave shapes are fit with an analytic form and the fitting parameters are tabulated along with thermal expansion and diameter effect data. The simplest detonation shock dynamics (DSD) model assumes a unique calibration function relating the local normal wave speed D{sub n} to the local total curvature {kappa}. The data confirm this notion for sufficiently small curvature, but at large curvature the curves for different charge diameters diverge. Global optimization is used to determine a best single D{sub n}-{kappa} function at each initial temperature T{sub 0}. From these curves a D{sub n}({kappa},T{sub 0}) calibration surface is generated that allows computation of problems with temperature gradients.