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Nonisentropic Release of a Shocked Solid
P G Heighway1, M Sliwa1, D McGonegle1
1Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom.
Physical Review Letters
|January 11, 2020
Summary
Plastic work in tantalum crystals significantly heats them during shock release, exceeding standard predictions. This material strength effect counters cooling, impacting shock physics understanding.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Shock Physics
Background:
- Standard models of shock and release assume isentropic processes.
- Thermoelastic cooling is typically expected during material release.
- Previous studies have not fully accounted for material strength effects during shock release.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temperature evolution during shock and release in tantalum crystals.
- To determine the influence of material strength on post-shock temperatures.
- To validate simulation results with experimental data.
Main Methods:
- Molecular dynamics simulations of shock and release in tantalum.
- Energy-budget analysis to quantify heating and cooling contributions.
- In situ X-ray diffraction experiments on laser-shocked tantalum foils.
Main Results:
- Simulations show post-shock temperatures far exceeding isentropic release predictions.
- Plastic work due to material strength is a major heating source, countering thermoelastic cooling.
- Experimental release temperatures closely match shock temperatures, corroborating simulation findings.
Conclusions:
- Material strength plays a critical role in the shock release behavior of tantalum.
- Standard isentropic release assumptions are insufficient for accurately modeling tantalum shock events.
- The findings necessitate revised models for shock and release phenomena in materials.
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