Epilogue

Abstract

The thermodynamic and mechanical aspects of the propagation of detonations (Part One), and the molecular mechanisms of explosive decomposition (Part Two), lie at the two extreme ends of the scale of explosive phenomena. The macroscopic aspects of the generation of detonation (Part Three), and the dynamic characterization of explosives (Part Four), are the two poles of interest for the “practitioner” of explosives. Ordering the work in such a way shows concern for demonstrating that:

• thorough understanding of detonation proceeds via a modeling where the existence of multiple scaling factors is fundamental, and where the continuum and molecular descriptions back up one another; and

• good practice in the use of explosives is not restricted to access to the appropriate numerical and experimental tools, but also requires preliminary familiarization with the theoretical results.