Adam Pacheco of shock and detonation physics presses the "fire" button during an experiment at the two-stage gas gun facility.
A new video shows how researchers use scientific guns to induce shock waves into explosive materials to study their performance and properties. "As we move forward with our stockpile and as it's aging and as we're replacing components, we want to make sure that we have confidence that those materials perform as intended," said Dana Dattelbaum. Assuring the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent. LOS ALAMOS, N.M. Nov. 3, 2014—As the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent ages, one essential factor in making sure that the weapons will continue to perform as designed is understanding the fundamental properties of the high explosives that are part of a nuclear weapons system. "As we move forward with our stockpile and as it's aging and as we're replacing components, we want to make sure that we have confidence that those materials perform as intended," said Dana Dattelbaum, a chemist in the Laboratory's Shock and Detonation Physics group. "And that we are also continuing to improve on safety." A new video on the Los Alamos National Laboratory YouTube Channel shows how researchers use scientific guns to induce shock waves into explosive materials to study their performance and properties.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
