Ultraviolet Laser-induced ignition of RDX single crystal
The RDX single crystals are ignited by ultraviolet laser (355 nm, 6.4 ns) pulses. The laser-induced damage morphology consisted of two distinct regions: a core region of layered fracture and a peripheral region of stripped material surrounding the core. As laser fluence increases, the area of the whole crack region increases all the way, while both the area and depth of the core region increase firstly, and then stay stable over the laser fluence of 12 J/cm2. The experimental details indicate the dynamics during laser ignition process. Plasma fireball of high temperature and pressure occurs firstly, followed by the micro-explosions on the (210) surface, and finally shock waves propagate through the materials to further strip materials outside and yield in-depth cracks in larger surrounding region. The plasma fireball evolves from isotropic to anisotropic under higher laser fluence resulting in the damage expansion only in lateral direction while maintaining the fixed depth. The primary insights into the interaction dynamics between laser and energetic materials can help developing the superior laser ignition technique.
Initiation of the explosive decomposition of pentaerythritol tetranitrate with ultradispersed particle additives by laser pulses
The explosive decomposition threshold of pentaerythritol tetranitrate was studied depending on the concentrations of ultradispersed Al particles and Ni-C and Al-C mechanocomposites in the samples. It was found that the critical pulse energy density W0.5, which corresponds to a 50% probability of explosion, reached a minimum value at additive concentrations of 0.1–0.3 wt %: W0.5 = 1.4, 5, or 4 J/cm2 for Al, Ni-C, or Al-C, respectively.
A bifunctional Cr/Yb/Tm:Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 phosphor with near-infrared long-lasting phosphorescence and upconversion luminescence.
Currently, upconversion nanocrystals and long-lasting phosphorescent particles have attracted extensive research interest for their possible applications as bioimaging probes. However, there are few reports concerning the achievement of both upconversion luminescence of lanthanide ions and long-lasting phosphorescence of transition metal ions in a sole host so far. Herein, we demonstrate a novel calcium gallium germanium garnet (Ca3Ga2Ge3O12) host where lanthanide ions such as Tm(3+)/Yb(3+) and transition metal ions such as Cr(3+) can be easily incorporated through substituting the Ca(2+) and Ga(3+) respectively. This Cr/Yb/Tm:Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 phosphor exhibits both broadband near-infrared long-lasting phosphorescence of Cr(3+) with an afterglow time of more than 7000 s and near-infrared to near-infrared upconversion luminescence of Tm(3+). Impressively, it is evidenced that the addition of Yb(3+)/Tm(3+) into Cr:Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 not only results in Tm(3+) upconversion luminescence but also greatly increases Cr(3+) afterglow time. Based on excitation/emission, three-dimensional thermoluminescence, and time-resolved luminescence spectra, the related long-lasting phosphorescence and upconversion luminescent mechanisms are systematically discussed as well.