Picosecond time-resolved electronic spectroscopy in plate impact shock experiments: Experimental development

An experimental method was developed to perform picosecond time-resolved electronic spectroscopy in single-event, plate impact, shock wave experiments. Several experimental difficulties had to be addressed due to the fast time resolution (100 ps) and short time duration (12.7 ns) of such experiments. Procedures are described to address the following experimental issues: (i) synchronization of the light source, detection equipment, and the shock event within the experimental duration, (ii) incorporation of a Nd: YAG laser (operative in a repetitive mode) into the experimental configuration, and (iii) sources of temporal dispersion. Representative results are shown from experiments performed on single crystal CdS. The developments described here are also expected to be useful for shock wave experiments involving Raman, fluorescence, or other types of spectroscopy which require the use of a laser. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(99)01003-5].