This book presents the formal lectures and contributed papers given at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Fast Reactions in Energetic Systems, which took place in Preveza, Greece, during the period 6-19 July 1980. The material describes experimental observations and the more advanced theoretical aspects of certain types of fast reactions and energy or charge transfer processes which are usually complete 6 12 in periods of 10- - 10- seconds. Furthermore, it discusses the role of macroscopic and molecular processes in the ignition, combustion, deflagration, and detonation of solid, liquid, and gaseous chemical systems. Various papers deal with the ability of molecules to absorb and transmit the different forms of energy provided by shock, light, thermal, or electron pulses, and to contribute to the propagation of reactions under high temperatures and pressures. The role of energy pumped or transferred to electronic or vibrational states is discussed in terms of excitation, ionization, bond scission, and the formation of free radicals. The dynamics and reactivity of ionic species, electronically and vibrationally excited states, and free radicals are described for various gaseous, liquid, and solid systems. The proceedings include presentations of theoretical and experimental techniques to describe and observe the phenomena.

Opening Address.- Current Trends in Research and Development in the U.S..- Technology Trends and Research Requirements Involving Fast Energetic Processes.- Fast Molecular Processes and Suggested Research Directions for Energetic Materials.- Reaction Rates Including Fast Reactions in Energetic Systems.- Picosecond Reaction Kinetics.- Fast Reaction Studies of Organic Ions in Solution.- Some Aspects of Gas Phase Ion Chemistry.- Activation and Deactivation of Vibrationally Highly Excited States.- Some New Applications of Kinetic Spectroscopy in Shock Waves.- Fundamental Aspects of Free-Radical Reactivity and Chain Reactions.- Thermal Explosion Fundamentals - Unification of Thermal And Chain-Branching Theories Of Reaction And Ignition - Thermokinetic Interpretation Of Hydrocarbon Oxidation.- Combustion Reaction Mechanisms from Ignition Delay Times.- Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering.- Gasdynamic Effects of Fast Exothermic Reactions.- Fast Reactions in Dispersed Heterogeneous Energetic Systems.- Some Factors Influencing the Transition from Deflagration to Detonation.- Energetic Nitroaromatic Transients and Their Role in Controlling the Sensitivity of Explosives.- High Power Picosecond Photolysis of Simple Organic Molecular Gases.- An Observation of Collision-Free, Intramolecular Vibrational Redistribution in S1p-Fluorotoluene.- Vibrational Relaxation in Molecular Liquids.- Coupling of Molecular to Lattice Vibrational Modes in Energetic Solids: Raman Spectroscopic Studies.- Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy in Propellant Flames.- Temperature Measurements of Shocked Energetic Materials by Time Resolved Infrared Radiometry.- Measurement of Ignition Kinetics in Liquids Under Pressure.- Decreasing Progression of the Decomposition Rate of Explosive Substances at HighTemperatures.- Laserpyrolysis of High Energetic Materials.- Model of the Kinetics of High Temperature Free Radical Reactions.- Quantum Mechanical Tunneling in Free Radical Reactions.- Studies on Some Trifluoromethyl Nitroxide Radicals By Epr Spectroscopy.- Experimental Ion-molecule Dynamics Including Reactions Involving Excited States.- Reliable AB Initio Quantum Chemical Calculations For Energetic Species.- The Study of Fast Shock-Induced Dissociation By Computer Molecular Dynamics.- Studies of Fast Reactions in Detonations.- Resonance Fluorescence of Atoms at High Photon Densities.- High Density Excitation Calculations in Molecular Solids: A Monte Carlo Study.- A Reaction Mechanism in the Shock Initiation of Detonation. A Theoretical Study.- Informal Discussion.- List of Participants.- Key Words.