Introduction
LONGITUDINAL ELECTRIC-FIELD INTERACTION WITH DETONATION Bone, et al. [1] investigated the propagation of detonation waves through regions of intense
Experimental Details electromagnetic field. They observed that, under certain conditions, these fields severely
The experiments were performed in a 5-m-long perturbed detonations in mixtures of carbon 19-mm-internal-diameter steel tube connected monoxide and oxygen. Waves propagating from to a 0.5-m-long perspex section of the same a negative to a positive potential decelerated, diameter, the latter fitted with two circular and were occasionally quenched. Propagation brass electrodes 25 cm apart. DC fields of up in the reverse direction resulted in no change to 500 kW m -1 could be applied across the electrodes, using a series resistor to limit the or a very slight velocity increase followed by a deceleration on leaving the field. There was no discharge current. apparent effect when they used a dry Detonation propagation was monitored usmethane-oxygen mixture. They postulated that ing smoked foils. A detonation is not a truly these observations were due to the drift of planar one-dimensional wave [4] and the CO + and electrons. Ion drift within the reac-three-dimensional structure exhibited by a gas tion zone would occur according to the polarity detonation is characterized by the average of the field, and the direction of detonation spacing between transverse perturbations. For propagation. The consequence would be a subatmospheric pressures any change in spacmodification of the spatial distribution of ing, and hence composition, is easily identified species and hence of the overall reaction on a "smoked foil," the pattern left on a lightly process, sooted surface. Jaggers and yon Engel [2] observed a similar phenomenon with flames. They attributed in-Experimental Observations creases in burning velocity to increased reaction rates, the result of electron collision with Two detonable mixtures were tested, stoichioother species. Malinowski [3], working with metric acetylene-oxygen and carbon-mon: transverse electric fields also cited electron oxide-oxygen, both at initial pressures in the drift as the cause of similar observations with range 30-60 torr. However, no changes in hydrocarbon-air mixtures, propagation characteristics with applied elec-During initial studies to investigate the pos-trical field were observed. This result was sursible use of field-induced ion drift to study prising, for Bertrand [5], in a similar experidetonation propagation an interesting effect ment with acetylene-oxygen, noted a signifihas been observed, believed to be due to corona cant variation in transverse structure. The cell discharge, size increased markedly as the detonation approached the positive electrode, and this continued as the wave propagated between the *To whom all correspondence should be addressed, electrodes. Beyond the negative electrode the