Effect of radiation treatment on the explosive conduction kinetics of heavy metal azides

Abstract

A study is performed of the effect of preliminary irradiation on the explosive conduction kinetics of whisker crystals of silver and lead azides under laser initiation. The rate of explosive decomposition of lead azide is shown to be a nonmonotonic function of the radiation dose, exhibiting a rise at low doses (tens of thousands of radians) and a fall at high doses (hundreds of thousands of radians). The results are analyzed using the previously proposed model of charge exchange of reaction centers during initiation. It is concluded that this model can be used to describe the effect of radiation treatment on the early stages of explosive decomposition.