Plate impact experiments on the TATB based explosive PBX 9502 at pressures near the Chapman-Jouguet state

A series of two-stage gus-gun driven plate impact experiments on PBX 9502 (95 wt.% tri-amino-trinitro-benzene, 5 wt.% Kel-F800 plastic binder) was completed in the 28-34 GPa pressure range. This is just above the Chapman-Jouguet state of ≈ 28 GPa. The experiments consisted of a thick oxygen free high conductivity copper (OFHC Cu) flyer plate impacting a PBX 9502 sample backed by a Lithium Fluoride (LiF) window. Photonic Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) was used to measure velocity histories (wave profiles) at the PBX 9502/LiF interface. Shock transit times and sample thicknesses were converted to shock velocities, Us. Particle velocities, up, were calculated by way of impedance matching. Lastly, the measured wave profiles were compared with numerical simulations of the experiments using the Wescott-Stewart-Davis reactive-burn model.