Numerical simulation of initiation of metal/explosive structure under laser irradiation

Based on the heat conduction equation and the theory of thermal explosion of high explosive, a numerical model was presented to simulate the initiation of metal/explosive structure irradiated by high energy laser, considering the temperature dependences of the energy coupling coefficient and the material properties of the metal. We first compared the numerical results with the analytical results, and the program was proved effective. Then we described an experiment which validated our numerical model. Finally, we calculated the initiation times for a range of laser intensities and thicknesses of the metal casing. Their relations were described by two simple formulas which can be employed for rapid estimates in engineering applications.