Retonation Wave upon Shock-Wave Initiation of Detonation of Solid Explosives

An original photograph of a retonation wave is presented; the wave arose spontaneously in a charge of a 20/80 nitroglycerine/ammonium nitrate mixture with a density of 0.9 g/cm³ at a distance of 0.8 of the charge length and went back half of the charge length toward the place of initiation. The velocity of the forward wave was 2300 m/sec, and the velocity of the retonation wave was 1700 m/sec. The retonation wave was registered only in one, unique experiment. Key words: initiation, detonation, retonation wave, velocity, nitroglycerine, ammonium nitrate.