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The possibility of enhancing detonation properties by electric energy input was experimentally investigated. A piece of 2 mm thick sheet explosive was placed between two copper electrodes, and the electric energy, 5 kJ, was supplied to the detonating explosive from a capacitor bank. Energy deposited in the detonating explosive was estimated to be 3.2∼4.3 kJ. The detonation velocity was increased by 2.7∼3.2% on average and 8.2∼10.4% locally. This increase occurred with a time lag of 10∼18 μs after the electric energy input had started. It was speculated that the electric energy was supplied to the reaction zone in the form of heat, and that it took a short while for the heat energy to be transferred to the detonation front.

Detonation waves propagating in a cylindrical high explosive initiated peripherally at one end were photographed by using multislit steak technique. The slit plane consisted of several concentric circular slits and a linear one lying on the center of the circles. One of the interesting facts observed with this multislit configuration was that the detonation wave which appeared symmetric in linear slit streak might not be a circular one. And more details of the wave shapes were recorded in the streak of circular slit with smaller diameter.