Nature of glowing generated by irradiation of pentaerythrite tetranitrate by an electron beam

Results of studying the nature of glowing generated by pentaerythrite tetranitrate (PETN) excitation by an electron beam with a mean electron energy of $\approx250$ keV and a current-pulse duration of $15$ nsec are presented. The pulse-averaged power density of the beam is varied within $10^6\le P\le10^{10}$ W/cm$^2$. For $10^6\le P\le10^8$ W/cm$^2$, the main type of glowing is demonstrated to be pulsed cathodoluminescence of PETN. In the pre-detonation mode ($P\approx10^9$ W/cm$^2$), more inertial glowing is formed on the rear front of the luminescence peak, which is identified as the glowing of products of explosive transformation of PETN formed in the region of electron-beam travel. For $P\ge5\cdot10^9$ W/cm$^2$, an additional glowing pulse is formed, which is associated with formation and spreading of a dense plasma emerging owing to detonation of the entire mass of the sample.