Ultra-high velocity impacts: Cratering studies of microscopic impacts from 3 km/s to 30 km/s

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6835677

Stradling, G L; Idzorek, G C; Shafer, B P ^[1]; Curling, Jr, H L; Collopy, M T ^[2]; Hopkins Blossom, A A ^[3]; Fuerstenau, S ^[4]

---

1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
2. Science Applications International Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
3. EG and G Energy Measurements, Inc., Los Alamos, NM (United States)
4. Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Cratering experiments performed under carefully controlled conditions at impact velocities ranging from 3 km/s to 30 km/s into a wide variety of target materials are presented. These impact experiments use the 6 MV vertical Van de Graaff accelerator of the Ion Beam Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory to electrostatically accelerate highly charged iron microspheres. The sub-micron spheres, from a random size distribution, are shocklessly accelerated along an 8 m flight path. Ultra-sensitive charge detectors monitor the passage of the projectiles at a rate of up to 100 projectiles/second. An online computer records and displays in real time the charge, velocity and mass of the projectiles and provides cross correlation between the events observed by the several in-flight charge detectors and impact detectors. Real-time logic controls an electrostatic kicker which deflects projectiles of selected charge and velocity onto the target. Thus each experiment consists of an ensemble of 10 to 40 impacts onto a single target within a narrow window of the projectile parameter space, providing excellent statistical resolution of each data point. The target materials used include single crystal copper and single crystal aluminum, gold, and quartz as well as pyrolytic graphic and epoxy used in composite materials of interest to space applications. We also conducted impact experiments onto thin Mylar and nickel foils. This paper presents these experiments and summarizes the cratering characterization performed to date. Emphasis is placed on cratering results in several materials over a range of impact velocities.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6835677
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-92-3811; CONF-921162--12; ON: DE93003846
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360103 -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
360603 -- Materials-- Properties
42 ENGINEERING
420500* -- Engineering-- Materials Testing
ACCELERATORS
ALUMINIUM
CAVITIES
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
COPPER
CRATERS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELECTROSTATIC ACCELERATORS
ELEMENTS
EPOXIDES
ESTERS
FLUID MECHANICS
GOLD
HYDRODYNAMICS
IMPACT SHOCK
IMPACT TESTS
IRON
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING
MECHANICAL TESTS
MECHANICS
METALS
MICROSCOPY
MINERALS
MYLAR
NICKEL
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OXIDE MINERALS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
POLYESTERS
POLYMERS
PROJECTILES
QUARTZ
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SHEAR
SPHERES
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
TARGETS
TESTING
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VAN DE GRAAFF ACCELERATORS