An explosion can be defined as a very fast chemical reaction involving a solid, dust or gas,
during which a rapid release of hot gases and energy takes place. The phenomenon lasts
only some milliseconds and it results in the production of very high temperatures and
pressures. During detonation the hot gases that are produced expand in order to occupy the
available space, leading to wave type propagation through space that is transmitted
spherically through an unbounded surrounding medium. Along with the produced gases, the
air around the blast (for air blasts) also expands and its molecules pile-up, resulting in what
is known as a blast wave and shock front. The blast wave contains a large part of the
energy that was released during detonation and moves faster than the speed of sound.