Detonation of secondary explosives in a vacuum suspension

The existence of self–sustaining detonation in an evacuated suspension of the particles of a secondary explosive is shown experimentally. The experiments with HMX were performed in a vertical shock tube of diameter 0.07 m and length 7 m in the range of volume–average particle concentrations 0.32–0.9 kg/m$^3$. It is shown that the vacuum–detonation velocity does not almost depend on the volume–average concentration of particles and it is (1750 $\pm$ 50) m/sec and that the pressure profile of a vacuum–detonation wave is smooth. The data on the electric conductivity of vacuum–detonation products and the length of the reaction zone are given.