Basics of blast physics.

Abstract

Blast science concerns the processes by which the energy of an explosion source becomes propagated into its surrounding environment, then interacts, loads, and damages materials, structures, and systems. Although explosive events have been chronicled for over 2000 yrs, and good empirical insights regarding blast phenomenology were established prior to WW‐II, the advent of the nuclear bomb drove the first rigorous and concerted efforts to understand the detailed physics of blast propagation. Blast science merges with classical acoustic sciences in its far‐field limits including phenomena such as atmospheric focusing. However, in the interaction of blast with composite structures including the human body, a wide range of transmitted, coupled, or overdriven mechanical waves of many types can be generated. There has been a significant resurgence of R&D in protective technologies against modern blast threats such as terrorist bombings and IED attacks against our armed services. The current paper presents a review of the basic of blast physics from the near to far fields, principles of blast simulation in the laboratory, as well as recent progress in the understanding of blast induced traumatic brain injury.