Investigating Shock Compression Phenomenon using Laser-Driven Micro Flyer Plates at DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory

Abstract

We are interested in developing a tabletop, high-throughput experiment that will produce well-characterized planar shocks for understanding shock compression in Army-relevant materials. Laser-driven flyer plates can reach velocities on the scale of kilometers/second and deliver reproducible planar microshocks in a laboratory setting on a benchtop. In this study, a high-energy, neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet-pulsed laser (up to 7.5 J, 10-ns pulse) system specifically designed for launching flyer plates is used. The effect of beam shape, beam diameter, and flyer material on the flyer plate launch, flight, and impact is monitored using several diagnostics including photon Doppler velocimetry, high-speed imaging, and light emission collection. It is important to have a well-characterized flyer plate to design experiments for shock compression studies of materials of interest.