Explosive decomposition of hexogen monocrystals induced by a pulsed electron beam

Investigations of explosive decomposition of hexogen monocrystals under exposure to a high-current electron beam (0.25 MeV, 20 ns, 15 J/cm 2 ) are conducted for the first time. The luminescence kinetics and spectra are measured in real time. It is shown that luminescence of crystals is observed at the time of electron beam action; explosive decomposition occurs within the microsecond time interval. The thermal nature of explosive luminescence is established using spectral pyrometry. The temperature of explosion is determined to be T = 3500 K.