Non-invasive timing of gas gun projectiles with light detection and ranging

Abstract

We have developed a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) diagnostic to track the position of a projectile inside of a gas gun launch tube in real-time. This capability permits the generation of precisely timed trigger pulses useful for triggering high-latency diagnostics such as a flash lamp-pumped laser. An initial feasibility test was performed using a 72 mm bore diameter single-stage gas gun routinely used for dynamic research at Los Alamos. A 655 nm pulsed diode laser operating at a pulse repetition rate of 100 kHz was used to interrogate the position of the moving projectile in real-time. The position of the projectile in the gun barrel was tracked over a distance of ~ 3 meters prior to impact. The position record showed that the projectile moved at a velocity of 489 m/s prior to impacting the target. This velocity was in good agreement with independent measurements of the projectile velocity by photon Doppler velocimetry and timing of the passage of the projectile through optical marker beams positioned at the muzzle of the gun. The time-to-amplitude conversion electronics used enable the LIDAR data to be processed in real-time to generate trigger pulses at preset separations between the projectile and target.