Review of Large HE Charge Early-Time Detonation Anomalies.

Early-time high-explosive HE anomalies from large charges have been a problem to weapon effects experimenters for nearly three decades. It is the unpredictability and near unsuppressibility of these anomalies which are the source of the problem. This Special Report summarizes what is known to date about HE detonation anomalies for charges ranging in yield from 0.25 gm to 500 tons. For source material, extensive use was made of DASIAC Library reports and films, of available papers published in the open literature, and of the National Technical Information Services NTIS computerized library search. This report has been kept purposefully brief and self-contained to provide a useful review and reference to the subject. Following an introduction to the subject of detonation anomalies and a brief description of the literature and film searches, the classification and origin of the types of anomalies observed in field experiments and the laboratory are clearly described, and a discussion is provided on the effects of anomalies on field experiments. The last section, while not presenting conclusions and recommendations, discusses a nubmer of methods that have been tried in an attempt to suppress detonation anomalies it is indicated that anomalies of various types are an inherent part of HE detonations.