Shock measurements of alternative tamper materials YAG and GGG

Tamper materials allow for pressure maximization in a shock experiment up until their saturation limit. The Fabbro model provides the basis for the prediction for pressure enhancement from tamper materials. In this paper, we report the performance of two novel, to the best of our knowledge, tamper materials (yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) and gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG)) using the Fabbro model and experimental data. The pressure enhancement using a laser-driven shock in the 2 GPa range and the saturation curve as these novel tampers compare to traditional tampers is explored. The unexpectedly low saturation points of YAG and GGG are discussed because of variable surface quality of commercially available samples. Overall, this study's findings suggest that YAG and GGG show promise as alternative tampers, provided that anticipated enhancements in surface quality are achieved. At fluences of 5 J/cm², a strong dependence of maximum pressure on the total acoustic impedance of the sample is not observed, and tamper selection becomes negligible.