Professor Justin Wark

Abstract:

When a crystal is subjected to shock compression beyond its Hugoniot Elastic Limit (HEL), the deformation it undergoes is composed of elastic and plastic strain components. In situ time-dependent X-ray diffraction, which allows direct measurement of lattice spacings, can be used to investigate such phenomena. This paper presents recent experimental results of X-ray diffraction from shocked fcc crystals. Comparison is made between experimental data and simulated X-ray diffraction using a post-processor to Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations of shocked fcc crystals.

Abstract:

Laser-based shock experiments have been conducted in thin Si and Cu crystals at pressures above the published Hugoniot Elastic Limit (HEL) for these materials. In situ x-ray diffraction has been used to directly measure the response of the shocked lattice during shock loading. Static film and x-ray streak cameras recorded x rays diffracted from lattice planes both parallel and perpendicular to the shock direction. In addition, experiments were conducted using a wide-angle detector to record x rays diffracted from multiple lattice planes simultaneously. These data showed uniaxial compression of Si (100) along the shock direction and three-dimensional compression of Cu (100). In the case of the Si diffraction, there was a multiple wave structure observed. This is evaluated to determine whether there is a phase transition occurring on the time scale of the experiments, or the HEL is much higher than previously reported. Results of the measurements are presented. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.