On the Initiation of High Explosives by Laser Radiation

The problem of laser initiation of high explosives in munitions is considered. In this situation, the laser illuminates a small spot on the casing, and lateral thermal transport affects the initiation temperature. We use a variational method to calculate the critical temperature for explosive initiation as a function the laser spot size, for common high explosives. The effect of the dwelling time of the irradiation is then evaluated. We demonstrate that in typical situations the critical temperature is determined by the dwelling time rather than by the laser spot size

Feasibility of High-Power Diode Laser Array Surrogate to Support Development of Predictive Laser Lethality Model

Predictive modeling and simulation of high power laser-target interactions is sufficiently undeveloped that full-scale, field testing is required to assess lethality of military directed-energy (DE) systems. The cost and complexity of such testing programs severely limit the ability to vary and optimize parameters of the interaction. Thus development of advanced simulation tools, validated by experiments under well-controlled and diagnosed laboratory conditions that are able to provide detailed physics insight into the laser-target interaction and reduce requirements for full-scale testing will accelerate development of DE weapon systems. The ultimate goal is a comprehensive end-to-end simulation capability, from targeting and firing the laser system through laser-target interaction and dispersal of target debris; a 'Stockpile Science' - like capability for DE weapon systems. To support development of advanced modeling and simulation tools requires laboratory experiments to generate laser-target interaction data. Until now, to make relevant measurements required construction and operation of very high power and complex lasers, which are themselves costly and often unique devices, operating in dedicated facilities that don't permit experiments on targets containing energetic materials. High power diode laser arrays, pioneered by LLNL, provide a way to circumvent this limitation, as such arrays capable of delivering irradiances characteristic of De weapon requires are self-contained, compact, light weight and thus easily transportable to facilities, such as the High Explosives Applications Facility (HEAF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where testing with energetic materials can be performed. The purpose of this study was to establish the feasibility of using such arrays to support future development of advanced laser lethality and vulnerability simulation codes through providing data for materials characterization and laser-material interaction models and to validate the accuracy of code predictions. This project was a Feasibility Study under the LLNL Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program

Modeling of Laser-Induced Metal Combustion

Experiments involving the interaction of a high-power laser beam with metal targets demonstrate that combustion plays an important role. This process depends on reactions within an oxide layer, together with oxygenation and removal of this layer by the wind. We present an analytical model of laser-induced combustion. The model predicts the threshold for initiation of combustion, the growth of the combustion layer with time, and the threshold for self-supported combustion. Solutions are compared with detailed numerical modeling as benchmarked by laboratory experiments

Modeling Antimortar Lethality by a Solid-State Heat-Capacity Laser

We have studied the use of a solid-state heat-capacity laser (SSHCL) in mortar defense. This type of laser, as built at LLNL, produces high-energy pulses with a wavelength of about 1 {micro}m and a pulse repetition rate of 200 Hz. Currently, the average power is about 26 kW. Our model of target interactions includes optical absorption, two-dimensional heat transport in the metal casing and explosive, melting, wind effects (cooling and melt removal), high-explosive reactions, and mortar rotation. The simulations continue until HE initiation is reached. We first calculate the initiation time for a range of powers on target and spot sizes. Then we consider an engagement geometry in which a mortar is fired at an asset defended by a 100-kW SSHCL. Propagation effects such as diffraction, turbulent broadening, scattering, and absorption are calculated for points on the trajectory, by means of a validated model. We obtain kill times and fluences, as functions of the rotation rate. These appear quite feasible

Laser space debris cleaning:Elimination of detrimental self-focusing effects

A ground-based laser system for space debris cleaning requires pulse power well above the critical power for self-focusing in the atmosphere. Self-focusing results in beam quality degradation and is detrimental for the system operation. We demonstrate that, for the relevant laser parameters, when the thickness of the atmosphere is much less than the focusing length (that is, of the orbit scale), the beam transit through the atmosphere produces the phase distortion only. The model thus developed is in very good agreement with numerical modeling. This implies that, by using phase mask or adaptive optics, it may be possible to eliminate almost completely the impact of self-focusing effects in the atmosphere on the laser beam propagation

Nonlinear pulse combining and compression using twisted hexagonal multi-core fibers

We demonstrate numerically and analytically that the twisting of the 7-core hexagonal fiber leads to an increase in the efficiency of pulse combining and to a reduction of the distance along the fiber to the combining point

The Interaction of Intense Laser Pulses with Atomic Clusters

We examine the interaction of intense, femtosecond laser radiation with the large (50–200 Å) clusters produced in pulsed gas jets. Both experiment and simulation show that the plasmas produced during these interactions exhibit electron temperatures far in excess of that predicted by above-threshold ionization theory for a low-density gas. Efficient heating of the clusters by the laser is followed by rapid expansion of the clusters and long-lived x-ray emission from hot, decaying, underdense plasma

Size-selection initiation model extended to include shape and random factors

The Feit-Rubenchik size-selection damage model has been extended in a number of ways. More realistic thermal deposition profiles have been added. Non-spherical shapes (rods and plates) have been considered, with allowance for their orientation dependence. Random variations have been taken into account. An explicit form for the change of absorptivity with precursor size has been added. A simulation tool called GIDGET has been built to allow adjustment of the many possible parameters in order to fit experimental data of initiation density as a function of fluence and pulse duration. The result is a set of constraints on the possible properties of initiation precursors

On demand spatial beam self-focusing in hexagonal multi-core fiber

Combination of the classical effect of light self-focusing and recently emerged multi-core fiber technology offers new opportunities for the spatio-temporal control and manipulation of high-power light radiation. Here we apply genetic algorithm to design a system enabling self-focusing of light in various fiber cores on demand. The proposed concept is general and can be applied and adapted to any multi-core fiber or 2D array of coupled waveguides paving a way for numerous applications