What chemical explosives detonate when exposed to alpha particles or nuclear fission products?
Wikipedia's article on nitrogen triiodide $ce{NI3}$ claims that
Nitrogen triiodide is also notable for being the only known chemical explosive that detonates when exposed to alpha particles and nuclear fission products
referring to the article published 60 years ago [1]. Are there any other examples of chemical explosives capable of that discovered afterwards, or is it still a prerogative of nitrogen triiodide?
References
- Bowden F. P.; Young D. A. The Initiation of Explosion by Neutrons, α-Particles and Fission Products. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences 1958, 246 (1245), 216–219. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1958.0123.
radioactivity explosives
asked Dec 28 '18 at 11:48
andselisk
13.5k646100
add a comment |
Wikipedia's article on nitrogen triiodide $ce{NI3}$ claims that
Nitrogen triiodide is also notable for being the only known chemical explosive that detonates when exposed to alpha particles and nuclear fission products
referring to the article published 60 years ago [1]. Are there any other examples of chemical explosives capable of that discovered afterwards, or is it still a prerogative of nitrogen triiodide?
References
- Bowden F. P.; Young D. A. The Initiation of Explosion by Neutrons, α-Particles and Fission Products. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences 1958, 246 (1245), 216–219. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1958.0123.
radioactivity explosives
asked Dec 28 '18 at 11:48
andselisk
13.5k646100
2
Meh, even IR may lead to explosion blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2013/01/09/…
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:08
2
@Mithoron The effect mentioned in this blog is thermal (a Raman laser is rather high-power). Not what the question and the paper cited in it is about.
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:41
add a comment |
Wikipedia's article on nitrogen triiodide $ce{NI3}$ claims that
Nitrogen triiodide is also notable for being the only known chemical explosive that detonates when exposed to alpha particles and nuclear fission products
referring to the article published 60 years ago [1]. Are there any other examples of chemical explosives capable of that discovered afterwards, or is it still a prerogative of nitrogen triiodide?
References
- Bowden F. P.; Young D. A. The Initiation of Explosion by Neutrons, α-Particles and Fission Products. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences 1958, 246 (1245), 216–219. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1958.0123.
radioactivity explosives
asked Dec 28 '18 at 11:48
andselisk
13.5k646100
Wikipedia's article on nitrogen triiodide $ce{NI3}$ claims that
Nitrogen triiodide is also notable for being the only known chemical explosive that detonates when exposed to alpha particles and nuclear fission products
referring to the article published 60 years ago [1]. Are there any other examples of chemical explosives capable of that discovered afterwards, or is it still a prerogative of nitrogen triiodide?
References
- Bowden F. P.; Young D. A. The Initiation of Explosion by Neutrons, α-Particles and Fission Products. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences 1958, 246 (1245), 216–219. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1958.0123.
radioactivity explosives
radioactivity explosives
asked Dec 28 '18 at 11:48
andselisk
13.5k646100
asked Dec 28 '18 at 11:48
andselisk
13.5k646100
asked Dec 28 '18 at 11:48
andselisk
13.5k646100
asked Dec 28 '18 at 11:48
andselisk
13.5k646100
asked Dec 28 '18 at 11:48
andselisk
13.5k646100
13.5k646100
2
Meh, even IR may lead to explosion blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2013/01/09/…
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:08
2
@Mithoron The effect mentioned in this blog is thermal (a Raman laser is rather high-power). Not what the question and the paper cited in it is about.
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:41
add a comment |
2
Meh, even IR may lead to explosion blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2013/01/09/…
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:08
2
@Mithoron The effect mentioned in this blog is thermal (a Raman laser is rather high-power). Not what the question and the paper cited in it is about.
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:41
2
2
Meh, even IR may lead to explosion blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2013/01/09/…
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:08
Meh, even IR may lead to explosion blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2013/01/09/…
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:08
2
2
@Mithoron The effect mentioned in this blog is thermal (a Raman laser is rather high-power). Not what the question and the paper cited in it is about.
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:41
@Mithoron The effect mentioned in this blog is thermal (a Raman laser is rather high-power). Not what the question and the paper cited in it is about.
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:41
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
(not really an answer here, but anyway ...)
I would suspect any highly sensitive explosive is theoretically capable to do that, possibly depending on how close you are to the point where it would just thermally explode. They checked "Crystals of lead azide, silver azide, cadmium azide, silver acetylyde and nitrogen iodide" in the paper cited above. The four with heavy metal ions don't work, I guess it makes some sense that those can (better) absorb a very local energy surge like from an alpha particle.
My list of suspects would thus include organic ozonides, peroxides, azides, tetrazoles and other compounds that only contain CNOH. Number 1: solid $ce{H2O2}$.
And basically anything that is known to sometimes explode without an obvious external triggering event.
answered Dec 28 '18 at 12:22
Karl
5,4761329
Or perhaps it requires more than a single particle - a certain minimum radiation density.
– Peter Mortensen
Dec 28 '18 at 15:57
@PeterMortensen But then you are close to a thermal effect again, except if it's sth like "two incidents within 10 ns and 2 nm". Or an accumulating effect. But without an actual example, that's pure conjecture. Educated wild guessing. ;-)
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 16:36
@PeterMortensen Not perhaps, but obviously, And I don't see such suggestion in answer
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:22
@Mithoron Why shouldn't a single alpha particle be able to trigger a runaway decomposition reaction?
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:39
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
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votes
active
oldest
votes
(not really an answer here, but anyway ...)
I would suspect any highly sensitive explosive is theoretically capable to do that, possibly depending on how close you are to the point where it would just thermally explode. They checked "Crystals of lead azide, silver azide, cadmium azide, silver acetylyde and nitrogen iodide" in the paper cited above. The four with heavy metal ions don't work, I guess it makes some sense that those can (better) absorb a very local energy surge like from an alpha particle.
My list of suspects would thus include organic ozonides, peroxides, azides, tetrazoles and other compounds that only contain CNOH. Number 1: solid $ce{H2O2}$.
And basically anything that is known to sometimes explode without an obvious external triggering event.
answered Dec 28 '18 at 12:22
Karl
5,4761329
Or perhaps it requires more than a single particle - a certain minimum radiation density.
– Peter Mortensen
Dec 28 '18 at 15:57
@PeterMortensen But then you are close to a thermal effect again, except if it's sth like "two incidents within 10 ns and 2 nm". Or an accumulating effect. But without an actual example, that's pure conjecture. Educated wild guessing. ;-)
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 16:36
@PeterMortensen Not perhaps, but obviously, And I don't see such suggestion in answer
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:22
@Mithoron Why shouldn't a single alpha particle be able to trigger a runaway decomposition reaction?
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:39
add a comment |
(not really an answer here, but anyway ...)
I would suspect any highly sensitive explosive is theoretically capable to do that, possibly depending on how close you are to the point where it would just thermally explode. They checked "Crystals of lead azide, silver azide, cadmium azide, silver acetylyde and nitrogen iodide" in the paper cited above. The four with heavy metal ions don't work, I guess it makes some sense that those can (better) absorb a very local energy surge like from an alpha particle.
My list of suspects would thus include organic ozonides, peroxides, azides, tetrazoles and other compounds that only contain CNOH. Number 1: solid $ce{H2O2}$.
And basically anything that is known to sometimes explode without an obvious external triggering event.
answered Dec 28 '18 at 12:22
Karl
5,4761329
Or perhaps it requires more than a single particle - a certain minimum radiation density.
– Peter Mortensen
Dec 28 '18 at 15:57
@PeterMortensen But then you are close to a thermal effect again, except if it's sth like "two incidents within 10 ns and 2 nm". Or an accumulating effect. But without an actual example, that's pure conjecture. Educated wild guessing. ;-)
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 16:36
@PeterMortensen Not perhaps, but obviously, And I don't see such suggestion in answer
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:22
@Mithoron Why shouldn't a single alpha particle be able to trigger a runaway decomposition reaction?
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:39
add a comment |
(not really an answer here, but anyway ...)
I would suspect any highly sensitive explosive is theoretically capable to do that, possibly depending on how close you are to the point where it would just thermally explode. They checked "Crystals of lead azide, silver azide, cadmium azide, silver acetylyde and nitrogen iodide" in the paper cited above. The four with heavy metal ions don't work, I guess it makes some sense that those can (better) absorb a very local energy surge like from an alpha particle.
My list of suspects would thus include organic ozonides, peroxides, azides, tetrazoles and other compounds that only contain CNOH. Number 1: solid $ce{H2O2}$.
And basically anything that is known to sometimes explode without an obvious external triggering event.
answered Dec 28 '18 at 12:22
Karl
5,4761329
(not really an answer here, but anyway ...)
I would suspect any highly sensitive explosive is theoretically capable to do that, possibly depending on how close you are to the point where it would just thermally explode. They checked "Crystals of lead azide, silver azide, cadmium azide, silver acetylyde and nitrogen iodide" in the paper cited above. The four with heavy metal ions don't work, I guess it makes some sense that those can (better) absorb a very local energy surge like from an alpha particle.
My list of suspects would thus include organic ozonides, peroxides, azides, tetrazoles and other compounds that only contain CNOH. Number 1: solid $ce{H2O2}$.
And basically anything that is known to sometimes explode without an obvious external triggering event.
answered Dec 28 '18 at 12:22
Karl
5,4761329
edited Dec 28 '18 at 22:59
answered Dec 28 '18 at 12:22
Karl
5,4761329
answered Dec 28 '18 at 12:22
Karl
5,4761329
answered Dec 28 '18 at 12:22
Karl
5,4761329
5,4761329
Or perhaps it requires more than a single particle - a certain minimum radiation density.
– Peter Mortensen
Dec 28 '18 at 15:57
@PeterMortensen But then you are close to a thermal effect again, except if it's sth like "two incidents within 10 ns and 2 nm". Or an accumulating effect. But without an actual example, that's pure conjecture. Educated wild guessing. ;-)
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 16:36
@PeterMortensen Not perhaps, but obviously, And I don't see such suggestion in answer
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:22
@Mithoron Why shouldn't a single alpha particle be able to trigger a runaway decomposition reaction?
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:39
add a comment |
Or perhaps it requires more than a single particle - a certain minimum radiation density.
– Peter Mortensen
Dec 28 '18 at 15:57
@PeterMortensen But then you are close to a thermal effect again, except if it's sth like "two incidents within 10 ns and 2 nm". Or an accumulating effect. But without an actual example, that's pure conjecture. Educated wild guessing. ;-)
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 16:36
@PeterMortensen Not perhaps, but obviously, And I don't see such suggestion in answer
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:22
@Mithoron Why shouldn't a single alpha particle be able to trigger a runaway decomposition reaction?
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:39
Or perhaps it requires more than a single particle - a certain minimum radiation density.
– Peter Mortensen
Dec 28 '18 at 15:57
Or perhaps it requires more than a single particle - a certain minimum radiation density.
– Peter Mortensen
Dec 28 '18 at 15:57
@PeterMortensen But then you are close to a thermal effect again, except if it's sth like "two incidents within 10 ns and 2 nm". Or an accumulating effect. But without an actual example, that's pure conjecture. Educated wild guessing. ;-)
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 16:36
@PeterMortensen But then you are close to a thermal effect again, except if it's sth like "two incidents within 10 ns and 2 nm". Or an accumulating effect. But without an actual example, that's pure conjecture. Educated wild guessing. ;-)
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 16:36
@PeterMortensen Not perhaps, but obviously, And I don't see such suggestion in answer
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:22
@PeterMortensen Not perhaps, but obviously, And I don't see such suggestion in answer
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:22
@Mithoron Why shouldn't a single alpha particle be able to trigger a runaway decomposition reaction?
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:39
@Mithoron Why shouldn't a single alpha particle be able to trigger a runaway decomposition reaction?
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:39
add a comment |
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2
Meh, even IR may lead to explosion blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2013/01/09/…
– Mithoron
Dec 28 '18 at 17:08
2
@Mithoron The effect mentioned in this blog is thermal (a Raman laser is rather high-power). Not what the question and the paper cited in it is about.
– Karl
Dec 28 '18 at 22:41