Detonation of Nitromethane

Video shows the first 15 picoseconds during the detonation of nitromethane. The shock wave is visible as it compresses the material a few seconds into the simulation. The molecules get hotter and move faster when this happens. As time progresses, the molecules react to form other species. This happens slowly and you need to look carefully to see this happening.

But researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created the first quantum molecular dynamics simulation of a shocked explosive near detonation conditions, to reveal what happens at the microscopic scale.

What they found is quite riveting: The explosive, nitromethane, undergoes a chemical decomposition and a transformation into a semi-metallic state for a limited distance behind the detonation front.

FULL STORY: http://nanotechnologytoday.blogspot.com/2007/12/explosives-at-microscopic-sca...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Nitromethane
• nanotechnology
• explosives
• Lawrence
• Livermore
• National
• Lab
• MIT
• chemical
• decomposition
• nitrogen
• dioxide

[kobasica]

why are some molecules appearing and disappearing?

[sookietex]

@kobasica Such is their nature :D Thanks for commenting

[SpeedOfDark186Kmps]

I love the song.

[sookietex]

@SpeedOfDark186Kmps Yeah it's a pretty neat tune :D we found it through YouTube's audioswitch.

[rltw04]

Things get craaaaazy on the quantum level. Love it!

[SpeedOfDark186Kmps]

I wish I knew what the song was.

[nybotheveg]

@animus999 as far as i know what they found was nanon thermite, they might have found other stuff too. but this isn't a nano anything. it's just a normal detonation shown on molecule scale

[TheHappyShack]

isn't this the deflagration? Not detonation?