Diode laser monitoring of atomic iodine in explosive fireballs

The work presented here summarizes the design, development, and evaluation of an applied spectroscopic diagnostic targeted at monitoring iodine producing reactions utilized in counter-biological warheads. The technique employs tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) to scan over the F′ = 3 triplet in the hyperfine absorption structure of atomic iodine at 1315 nm. The diagnostic is quantitatively based on statistical mechanics and therefore calibration free for simplified fieldability. The technique was established in a benchtop, milligram-scale study probing thermitic reactions of aluminum and iodine pentoxide initiated with an electrical discharge. It was then extended to investigate the same reactive material in an explosively driven system, closer replicating the intended application space.