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The full design of a liquid neutron reflectometer for China spallation neutron source is reported. The horizontal sample geometry enables studies on both solid and liquid samples. A neutron beam with a wavelength range from 1 to 10 Å and neutron flux intensity of 4 × 107 n/cm2/s was optimized for the classical specular reflection. A multi-blade detector with high detection efficiency and a high neutron counting rate was used to ensure the performance of neutron detection. Data acquisition and reduction routines were demonstrated to confirm the reliability of the measurements. The design and algorithms developed in this study pave the way for the future construction of liquid reflectometry for high-performance neutron scattering measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-energy heavy ions produced by accelerators are used in industrial and medical applications. Recently carbon ions have been used in the treatment of cancerous tumors. Heavy ions by the spallation process will activate the soft tissue components before tumors. In this research by GEANT4 toolkit and MCNPX code simulation were tried to calculate the secondary particles and radioactive elements produced in the soft tissue around tumors by the carbon ions spallation process. In the MCNPX code, the F8 tally card with the FT8 command was used to extract the activation and spallation information of secondary particles in the Z1=1 to Z2=25 atomic numbers range. It was shown that a wide range of radioactive elements was produced in healthy tissues in carbon therapy. In addition to produced secondary particles, the Be-10 and C-14 radioactive elements were produced in high-energy carbon ions in soft tissue. Also, the GEANT4 toolkit result of produced secondary particles dosimetry was shown that the secondary particles dose per carbon ion is between 1.66 to 33.54 nGy for carbon ion energy between 1140 to 5160 MeV. The tail for 3480, 4080, and 5160 MeV of carbon ion energy are 0.12, 1.01, and 11 cm respectively. The carbon ion beam divergence increases with beam energy and achieve to 33 mm for 5160 MeV carbon ion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Void evolution at the microscopic scale is an important part of the shock response of porous metallic glasses (MGs). Here, large-scale molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the shock loading of Cu50Zr50 MG, including thermodynamic quantities, shock-induced void collapse, and spall behavior. The results show that the shear transformation zone nucleation and growth around the void is the main plastic deformation mechanism for the shock-induced void collapse in MGs. The stress around the void is analyzed to reveal the evolution of the void shape and the relationship between the critical stress for the void collapse and the Hugoniot elastic limit stress. A model is proposed to predict the void collapse time in MGs. Softening occurs at around the location of the void after the void collapse due to a local temperature increase. Consequently, spallation is colocated with the high temperature region, rather than at the position associated with maximum tensile stress. Void growth and nucleation of tension transformation zones compete with each other as the shock intensity increases. At a high strain rate, the Cu50Zr50 MG shows more brittle fracture behavior with a larger number of voids and smaller average void size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

M-STAR is a next generation polarized neutron reflectometer with advanced capabilities. A new focusing guide concept is optimized for samples with dimensions down to a millimeter range. A proposed hybrid pulse-skipping chopper will enable experiments at constant geometry at one incident angle in a broad range of wavevector transfer Q up to 0.3 A−1 for specular, off-specular, and GISANS measurements. M-STAR will empower nanoscience and spintronics studies routinely on small samples (∼2 × 2 mm2) and of atomic-scale thickness using versatile experimental conditions of magnetic and/or electric fields, light, and temperature applied in situ to novel complex device-like nanosystems with multiple buried interfaces. M-STAR will enable improved grazing incidence diffraction measurements, as a surface-sensitive depth-resolved probe of, e.g., the out-of-plane component of atomic magnetic moments in ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, and more complex structures as well as in-plane atomic-scale structures inaccessible with contemporary diffractometry and reflectometry. New horizons will be opened by the development of an option to probe near-surface dynamics with inelastic grazing incidence scattering in the time-of-flight mode. These novel options in combination with ideally matched parameters of the second target station will place M-STAR in the world's leading position for high resolution polarized reflectometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mercury constitutive model predicting the strain and stress in the target vessel plays a central role in improving the lifetime prediction and future target designs of the mercury targets at the Spallation Neutron Source. We leverage the experiment strain data collected over multiple years to improve the mercury constitutive model through a combination of large scale simulations of the target behavior and the use of machine learning tools for parameter estimation. We present two interdisciplinary approaches for surrogate-based model calibration of expensive simulations using evolutionary neural networks and sparse polynomial expansions. The newly calibrated simulations achieve 7% average improvement on the prediction accuracy and 8% reduction in mean absolute error compared to previously reported reference parameters, with some individual sensors experiencing up to 30% improvement. The calibrated simulations can aid in fatigue analysis to estimate the mercury target lifetime, which reduces abrupt failure and saves tremendous amount of costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate spallation in liquid copper at high strain rates induced by planar shock loading with classical molecular dynamics simulations. Spallation simulations are performed at different initial temperatures, shock durations, and shock strengths. Loading may have pronounced effects on spall strength. The acoustic method for deducing spall strength and strain rate from free surface velocity histories is discussed in detail and compared to direct simulations. The effects of temperature rise induced by shock wave, tension attenuation, sound speed, and density on the accuracy of the acoustic method are examined; the contributing factors to errors are identified; and the modifications to the choice of sound speed and density are proposed to improve the accuracy of the acoustic method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upgrades at the spallation neutron source (SNS) accelerator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are underway to double its proton beam power from 1.4 to 2.8 MW. About 2 MW will go to the current first station while the rest will go to the future Second Target Station. The increase of beam power to the first target station is especially challenging for its mercury target. When the short proton beam hits the target, strong pressure waves are generated, causing cavitation erosion and challenging stresses for the target's weld regions. SNS has successfully operated reliably at 1.4 MW by mitigating the pressure wave with the injection of small Helium bubbles into the mercury. To operate reliably at 2 MW, more gas will be injected into mercury to mitigate the pressure wave further. However, the mercury process loop was not originally designed for gas injection, and the accumulation of gas in the pipes is a concern. Due to space constraints, a custom gas liquid separator (GLS) was designed to fit a 90-deg horizontal elbow space in the SNS mercury loop. Simulations and experiments were performed, and a successful design was developed that has the desired efficiency while keeping the pressure losses acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the nanoscale mechanism associated with the spallation of polyurea, which allowed us to test some assumptions commonly made in the interpretation of similar experiments on the macroscale. The spall strength was computed by following two methods: (i) The indirect method (from the free surface velocity history—commonly used in experiments) (ii) A direct method (from the atomic stresses in the spall region—accessible only in MD). Our results show that the spall strength computed from the direct method is consistently higher than that obtained from the indirect method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the spallation behavior of a binary metallic glass Cu50Zr50 is investigated with molecular dynamics simulations. With increasing the impact velocity, micro-voids induced by tensile pulses become smaller and more concentrated. The phenomenon suggests a ductile-to-brittle transition during the spallation process. Further investigation indicates that the transition is controlled by the interaction between void nucleation and growth, which can be regarded as a competition between tension transformation zones (TTZs) and shear transformation zones (STZs) at atomic scale. As impact velocities become higher, the stress amplitude and temperature rise in the spall region increase and micro-structures of the material become more unstable. Therefore, TTZs are prone to activation in metallic glasses, leading to a brittle behavior during the spallation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sterile Neutrino Search at the J-PARC Spallation Neutron Source (JSNS |$^2$|⁠) experiment aims to search for sterile neutrino oscillations using a neutrino beam from muon decays at rest. The JSNS |$^2$| detector contains 17 tons of 0.1 |$\%$| gadolinium (Gd) loaded liquid scintillator (LS) as a neutrino target. Detector construction was completed in the spring of 2020. A slow control and monitoring system (SCMS) was implemented for reliable control and quick monitoring of the detector operational status and environmental conditions. It issues an alarm if any of the monitored parameters exceed a preset acceptable range. The SCMS monitors the high voltage of the photomultiplier tubes, the LS level in the detector, possible LS overflow and leakage, the temperature and air pressure in the detector, the humidity of the experimental hall, and the LS flow rate during filling and extraction. An initial 10 days of data-taking with a neutrino beam was done following a successful commissioning of the detector and SCMS in 2020 June. In this paper, we present a description of the assembly and installation of the SCMS and its performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas electron multiplier (GEM) detectors and activation foils have been used for dosimetry of thermal beamlines of a pulsed neutron source. The first is an active detector that performs measurements using the time-of-flight technique, taking advantage of the pulsed nature of the source. The same detector has been used successfully to measure the profiles of the beams. The second is a passive irradiation method that independently confirms the measured fluxes of equipment materials and mechanics analyzer (EMMA) and rotating analyzer crystal (X) spectrometer (ROTAX) beamlines of the ISIS neutron source. They feature different thermal spectra, the first being moderated with water (300 K) and the second with liquid methane (100 K). These two characterized beamlines have been used for the irradiation of microelectronics for single-event effect testing using a reference static random access memory (SRAM) module. It is shown that results are consistent and that a correction factor must be applied to scale the results on the cold beamline to the one at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hot corrosion behavior of nickel-based single-crystal superalloy after drilling is investigated at 900 °C. The characteristics of hot corrosion after drilling which are different from normal hot corrosion are reflected in the formation of a more stable oxide layer and less severe spallation. The change of microstructure around the hole is the main reason for the formation of a stable oxide layer during hot corrosion by changing the diffusion process of alloying elements. Subsequently, the formation of a stable oxide layer can reduce the effect of spalling by optimizing surface stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NEURAP is a dedicated set-up at the Swiss neutron spallation source (SINQ) at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), optionally implemented as a special configuration of the neutron-imaging station NEUTRA. It is one of very few instrumentations available worldwide enabling neutronimaging of highly radioactive samples to be performed routinely, with special precautions and following a specific procedure. Since the relevant objects are strong -sources, dedicated techniques are needed to handle the samples and to perform neutron-imaging despite the radiation background. Dysprosium (Dy)-loaded imaging plates, effectively made sensitive to neutrons only, are employed. Neutrons are captured by Dy during neutron irradiation. Then the imaging plate is erased removing gamma detections. A subsequent relatively long self-exposure by the radiation from the intrinsic neutron-activated Dy within the imaging plate yields the neutron-only radiograph that is finally read out. During more than 20 years of NEURAP operation, images have been obtained for two major applications: (a) highly radioactive SINQ target components were investigated after long-term operation life; and (b) spent fuel rods and their cladding from Swiss nuclear power plants were characterized. Quantitative analysis of the image data demonstrated the accumulation of spallation products in the lead filled "Cannelloni" Zircaloy tubes of the SINQ target and the aggregation of hydrogen at specific sites in used fuel pins of power plants and their cladding, respectively. These results continue to help understanding material degradation and optimizing the operational regimes, which might lead to extending the safe lifetimes of these components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distinct characteristics of short pulse laser interactions with a metal target under conditions of spatial confinement by a solid transparent overlayer are investigated in a series of atomistic simulations. The simulations are performed with a computational model combining classical molecular dynamics (MD) technique with a continuum description of the laser excitation, electronphonon equilibration, and electronic heat transfer based on two-temperature model (TTM). Two methods for incorporation of the description of a transparent overlayer into the TTM-MD model are designed and parameterized for Ag-silica system. The material response to the laser energy deposition is studied for a range of laser fluences that, in the absence of the transparent overlayer, covers the regimes of melting and resolidification, photomechanical spallation, and phase explosion of the overheated surface region. In contrast to the irradiation in vacuum, the spatial confinement by the overlayer facilitates generation of sustained high-temperature and high-pressure conditions near the metal-overlayer interface, suppresses the generation of unloading tensile wave, decreases the maximum depth of melting, and prevents the spallation and explosive disintegration of the surface region of the metal target. At high laser fluences, when the laser excitation brings the surface region of the metal target to supercritical conditions, the confinement prevents the expansion and phase decomposition characteristic for the vacuum conditions leading to a gradual cooling of the hot compressed supercritical fluid down to the liquid phase and eventual solidification. The target modification in this case is limited to the generation of crystal defects and the detachment of the metal target from the overlayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pure alpha emitter 148Gd may have a significant radiological impact in terms of internal dose to exposed humans in case of accidental releases from a spallation source using a tungsten target, such as the one to be used in the European Spallation Source (ESS). In this work we aim to present an approach to indirectly estimate the whole-body burden of 148Gd and the associated committed effective dose in exposed humans, by means of high-resolution gamma spectrometry of the gamma-emitting radiogadolinium isotopes 146Gd and 153Gd that are accompanied by 148Gd generated from the operation of the tungsten target. Theoretical minimum detectable whole-body activity (MDA) and associated internal doses from 148Gd are calculated using a combination of existing biokinetic models and recent computer simulation studies on the generated isotope ratios of 146Gd/148Gd and 153Gd/148Gd in the ESS target. Of the two gamma-emitting gadolinium isotopes, 146Gd is initially the most sensitive indicator of the presence of 148Gd if whole-body counting is performed within a month after the release, using the twin photo peaks of 146Gd centered at 115.4 keV (MDA < 1 Bq for ingested 148Gd, and < 25 Bq for inhaled 148Gd). The corresponding minimum detectable committed effective doses will be less than 1 µSv for ingested 148Gd, but substantially higher for inhaled 148Gd (up to 0.3 mSv), depending on operation time of the target prior to the release. However, a few months after an atmospheric release, 153Gd becomes a much more sensitive indicator of body burdens of 148Gd, with a minimum detectable committed effective doses ranging from 18 to 77 µSv for chronic ingestion and between 0.65 to 2.7 mSv for acute inhalation in connection to the release. The main issue with this indirect method for 148Gd internal dose estimation, is whether the primary photon peaks from 146 and 153Gd can be detected undisturbed. Preliminary simulations show that nuclides such as 182Ta may potentially create perturbations that could impair this evaluation method, and which impact needs to be further studied in future safety assessments of accidental target releases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bragg edge tomography was carried out on novel, ultra-thick, directional ice templated graphite electrodes for Li-ion battery cells to visualise the distribution of graphite and stable lithiation phases, namely LiC12 and LiC6. The four-dimensional Bragg edge, wavelength-resolved neutron tomography technique allowed the investigation of the crystallographic lithiation states and comparison with the electrode state of charge. The tomographic imaging technique provided insight into the crystallographic changes during de-/lithiation over the electrode thickness by mapping the attenuation curves and Bragg edge parameters with a spatial resolution of approximately 300 μm. This feasibility study was performed on the IMAT beamline at the ISIS pulsed neutron spallation source, UK, and was the first time the 4D Bragg edge tomography method was applied to Li-ion battery electrodes. The utility of the technique was further enhanced by correlation with corresponding X-ray tomography data obtained at the Diamond Light Source, UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical potential structure refinement is a neutron scattering data analysis algorithm and a software package. It was developed by the disordered materials group in the British spallation neutron source (ISIS) in 1980s, and aims to construct the most-probable atomic structures of disordered materials in the field of chemical physics. It has been extensively used during the past decades, and has generated reliable results. However, it implements a shared-memory architecture with open multi-processing (OpenMP). With the extensive construction of supercomputer clusters and the widespread use of graphics processing unit (GPU) acceleration technology, it is now possible to rebuild the EPSR with these techniques in the effort to improve its calculation speed. In this study, an open source framework NeuDATool is proposed. It is programmed in the object-oriented language C++, can be paralleled across nodes within a computer cluster, and supports GPU acceleration. The performance of NeuDATool has been tested with water and amorphous silica neutron scattering data. The test shows that the software can reconstruct the correct microstructure of the samples, and the calculation speed with GPU acceleration can increase by more than 400 times, compared with CPU serial algorithm at a simulation box that has about 100 thousand atoms. NeuDATool provides another choice to implement simulation in the (neutron) diffraction community, especially for experts who are familiar with C++ programming and want to define specific algorithms for their analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1.88‐km‐diameter Lonar crater emplaced in the Deccan basalt is an excellent terrestrial analog of bowl‐shaped impact craters on Mars. It contains a pristine ejecta blanket with abundant basalt boulders. We measured the density, porosity, P and S wave velocities and attenuation, magnetic susceptibility, uniaxial compressive strength, and tensile strength of 313 core specimens from 65 basalt ejecta boulders. Using these values, we quantified the gross physical properties of preimpact target and applied them in the cratering equations and estimated the spall plate dimensions and ejection distances. The impact of 35‐m‐radius projectile with 20 km/s velocity on the basaltic target with 77.2‐MPa dynamic tensile strength, 4,163 m/s P wave velocity, and 2.56 g/cm3 density gives a spall thickness range (0.2 to 9.7 m) similar to the observed boulder sizes at Lonar crater. Because aqueous weathering and vesicularity are present in the target, the Lonar impact produced smaller spall sizes than those expected from a massive basalt target. We also measured the ejecta boulder sizes and shapes around a fresh impact crater (of similar size and target to Lonar) in Arcadia Planitia on Mars and calculated the spall thicknesses. The low‐velocity impact (5.5 km/s) of 50‐m‐radius projectile on the target similar to Lonar basalt gives a spall thickness range (1 to 25 m) similar to the observed boulder sizes at the Martian impact crater. The impact craters of similar sizes and targets on Earth and Mars produced different spall boulder size distributions reflecting the distinct impact conditions on these planets. Plain Language Summary: When a hypervelocity meteorite strikes the planetary surface, it produces a layer of large spall fragments (boulders) from the target's surface and become parts of the impact crater ejecta. The measurements of physical and geometric properties of these ejecta boulders are useful for quantifying the conditions of impact cratering. Hence, we measured these quantities using the basalt boulders at Lonar crater in India and quantified the gross physical properties of the preimpact target. These values were used in the impact cratering equations and theoretical spallation models to determine the size and velocity of the impactor that would produce the spall sizes similar to the observed boulder sizes at Lonar. Many fresh impact craters on Mars are also formed on targets comparable to Lonar crater. Hence, we used the Lonar target properties in the spallation model of a Martian impact crater of similar size to Lonar. The results suggest that a lower‐velocity impact into a Lonar‐like target would produce spall fragments similar to the observed boulder sizes around the Martian crater. In addition, the ejecta boulders of Lonar and the Martian impact craters provide clues to the extent of aqueous alteration in the target rocks. Key Points: The physical properties of basalt ejecta boulders at Lonar crater constrained the preimpact target propertiesThe theoretical spallation model supported by the measured target properties reproduced the observed ejecta boulder sizesThe larger size ejecta boulders at the Lonar‐size impact crater on Mars suggest low‐velocity impact on Lonar‐like target [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport of neutrons in long beamlines at spallation neutron sources presents a unique challenge for Monte-Carlo transport calculations. This is due to the need to accurately model the deep-penetration of high-energy neutrons through meters of thick dense shields close to the source and at the same time to model the transport of low- energy neutrons across distances up to around 150 m in length. Typically, such types of calculations may be carried out with MCNP-based codes or alternatively PHITS. However, in recent years there has been an increased interest in the suitability of Geant4 for such types of calculations. Therefore, we have implemented supermirror physics, a neutron chopper module and the duct-source variance reduction technique for low- energy neutron transport from the PHITS Monte-Carlo code into Geant4. In the current work, we present a series of benchmarks of these extensions with the PHITS software, which demonstrates the suitability of Geant4 for simulating long neutron beamlines at a spallation neutron source, such as the European Spallation Source, currently under construction in Lund, Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CONNIE experiment is located at a distance of 30 m from the core of a commercial nuclear reactor, and has collected a 3.7 kg-day exposure using a CCD detector array sensitive to an ∼1 keV threshold for the study of coherent neutrino-nucleus elastic scattering. Here we demonstrate the potential of this low-energy neutrino experiment as a probe for physics Beyond the Standard Model, by using the recently published results to constrain two simplified extensions of the Standard Model with light mediators. We compare the new limits with those obtained for the same models using neutrinos from the Spallation Neutron Source. Our new constraints represent the best limits for these simplified models among the experiments searching for CEνNS for a light vector mediator with mass M Z ′ < 10 MeV, and for a light scalar mediator with mass Mϕ< 30 MeV. These results constitute the first use of the CONNIE data as a probe for physics Beyond the Standard Model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) we are involved in the Accelerator-Driven-System (ADS) research. We perform experiments with assemblies composed of a spallation target and a subcritical blanket irradiated with highenergy proton or deuteron beams that generate high-energy neutron fields by spallation and fission reactions. In this paper, three uranium assemblies are presented: Energy plus Transmutation (E+T), QUINTA and BURAN. We discuss the results of the E+T and QUINTA irradiations by 1.6 GeV deuterons and 660 MeV protons, respectively. We have focused on the regions close to the primary beam passage through the targets. The field has been measured using activation detectors of 209Bi, 59Co, and natPb. Monte Carlo simulations using MCNPX 2.7.0 have been performed and compared to the experimental results. We discovered that the field intensity near the primary beam is very dependent on the precision of the accelerator beam settings. Therefore, a Monte Carlo-based study of the influence of the uncertainty of primary proton beam parameters on experimental result accuracy of the QUINTA assembly has been carried out. The usage of MCNPX 2.7.0 in the future BURAN irradiations has been assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although shock-induced fracture and fragmentation of materials at low temperatures are issues of considerable interest for many applications, such as the protection from hypervelocity impacts in outer space or the ongoing development of high energy laser facilities aiming at inertial confinement fusion, little data can be found on the subject yet. In this paper, laser driven shock experiments are performed on gold and aluminum samples at both ambient and cryogenic (down to about 30 K) temperatures. Complementary techniques including transverse optical shadowgraphy, time-resolved velocity measurements, and post-recovery analyses are combined to assess the effects of target temperature upon the processes of microjetting, spallation, and dynamic punching, which are expected to govern fragments generation and ejection. The results indicate that cryogenic temperature tends to reduce the resistance to tensile and shear stresses, promotes brittle fracture, and leads to slightly higher fragments ejection velocities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shock wave profiles of sapphire (single-crystal Al2O3) with seven crystallographic orientations (c, d, r, n, s, g, and m-cut) were measured with time-resolved VISAR (velocity interferometer for a surface of any reflector) interferometry at shock stresses in the range 16–86 GPa. Shock propagation was in the direction normal to the surface of each cut. The angle between the c-axis of the hexagonal representation of the sapphire crystal structure and the direction of shock propagation varied from 0 for c-cut up to 90° for m-cut in the basal plane. Based on published shock-induced transparencies for three directions of shock propagation, shock-induced optical transparency correlates with the smoothness of the mechanical shock wave profile. The ultimate goal was to find the direction of shock propagation for which shock-compressed sapphire is most transparent as a window material. In the experiments particle velocity histories were recorded at the interface between a sapphire crystal and a LiF window. In most cases measured wave profiles are noisy as a result of heterogeneity of deformation. Measured values of Hugoniot elastic limits (HELs) depend on direction of shock compression and peak shock stress. The largest HEL values (24 GPa) were recorded for shock loading along the c-axis and perpendicular to c along the m-direction. Shock compression along the m- and s-directions is accompanied by the smallest heterogeneity of deformation and the smallest rise time of the plastic shock wave. m- and s-cut sapphires most closely approach ideal elastic-plastic flow, which suggests that m- and s-cut sapphires are probably the sapphire orientations that remain the most transparent to the highest shock pressures. Under purely elastic deformation sapphire demonstrates very high spall strength, which depends on both load duration and peak stress. Plastic deformation of sapphire causes loss of its tensile strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material microstructure is a significant determinant of the tensile stress at which materials fail. Using a high-energy laser to drive shocks in thin slabs, we have explored the role material microstructure plays on the spall strength of high-purity and alloyed aluminum at strain rates of (2–7.5)×106 s-1. Slabs of pure recrystallized Al and recrystallized or cold worked Al+3 wt % Mg were shock driven using the Z-Beamlet Laser at Sandia National Laboratories. Velocity interferometer measurements determined the spall strength of the materials, and postshot target analysis explored the microscopic fracture morphology. We observed the greatest spall strength for large-grained, recrystallized high-purity aluminum, with the dominant failure mode being ductile and transgranular. We observe for the first time at these strain rates fracture features for a fine-grained Al+3 wt % Mg that were a combination of brittle intergranular and ductile transgranular fracture types. Postshot analysis of target cross sections and hydrocode simulations indicate that this mixed-mode failure results from spall dynamics occurring on spatial scales on the order of the grain size. Differences in spall strength between these Al samples were experimentally significant and correlate with the damage morphologies observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material microstructure is a significant determinant of the tensile stress at which materials fail. Using a high-energy laser to drive shocks in thin slabs, we have explored the role material microstructure plays on the spall strength of high-purity and alloyed aluminum at strain rates of (2–7.5)×106 s-1. Slabs of pure recrystallized Al and recrystallized or cold worked Al+3 wt % Mg were shock driven using the Z-Beamlet Laser at Sandia National Laboratories. Velocity interferometer measurements determined the spall strength of the materials, and postshot target analysis explored the microscopic fracture morphology. We observed the greatest spall strength for large-grained, recrystallized high-purity aluminum, with the dominant failure mode being ductile and transgranular. We observe for the first time at these strain rates fracture features for a fine-grained Al+3 wt % Mg that were a combination of brittle intergranular and ductile transgranular fracture types. Postshot analysis of target cross sections and hydrocode simulations indicate that this mixed-mode failure results from spall dynamics occurring on spatial scales on the order of the grain size. Differences in spall strength between these Al samples were experimentally significant and correlate with the damage morphologies observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spall damage in solid materials has been one of the most widely studied shock-induced phenomena for several decades, for both applied and basic scientific motivations. Comparatively, very little data can be found yet about spallation in liquid metals. In a recent paper, we have reported an exploratory investigation of liquid spall in tin samples melted upon laser shocks of very high intensities. Here, we present further experimental results obtained over a lower pressure range, where we focus on the transition from the ductile fracture behavior of solid tin to the cavitating spall expected above melting. This transition is clearly evidenced from both time-resolved free surface velocity measurements and post-test examination of the recovered targets. The drop in tensile strength associated with melting is evaluated from the velocity profiles. Detailed views of the fracture surfaces in the spall craters provide an insight into the cavitation process. Experimental data are compared to preliminary computations to determine the loading pressures and to assess the overall consistency of our interpretation of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unexpected mechanism for fast reaction of Al nanoparticles covered by a thin oxide shell during fast heating is proposed and justified theoretically and experimentally. For nanoparticles, the melting of Al occurs before the oxide fracture. The volume change due to melting induces pressures of 1–2 GPa and causes dynamic spallation of the shell. The unbalanced pressure between the Al core and the exposed surface creates an unloading wave with high tensile pressures resulting in dispersion of atomic scale liquid Al clusters. These clusters fly at high velocity and their reaction is not limited by diffusion (this is the opposite of traditional mechanisms for micron particles and for nanoparticles at slow heating). Physical parameters controlling the melt dispersion mechanism are found by our analysis. In addition to an explanation of the extremely short reaction time, the following correspondence between our theory and experiments are obtained: (a) For the particle radius below some critical value, the flame propagation rate and the ignition time delay are independent of the radius; (b) damage of the oxide shell suppresses the melt dispersion mechanism and promotes the traditional diffusive oxidation mechanism; (c) nanoflakes react more like micron size (rather than nanosize) spherical particles. The reasons why the melt dispersion mechanism cannot operate for the micron particles or slow heating of nanoparticles are determined. Methods to promote the melt dispersion mechanism, to expand it to micron particles, and to improve efficiency of energetic metastable intermolecular composites are formulated. In particular, the following could promote the melt dispersion mechanism in micron particles: (a) Increasing the temperature at which the initial oxide shell is formed; (b) creating initial porosity in the Al; (c) mixing of the Al with a material with a low (even negative) thermal expansion coefficient or with a phase transformation accompanied by a volume reduction; (d) alloying the Al to decrease the cavitation pressure; (e) mixing nano- and micron particles; and (f) introducing gasifying or explosive inclusions in any fuel and oxidizer. A similar mechanism is expected for nitridation and fluorination of Al and may also be tailored for Ti and Mg fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is indicated that the constitutive relations for shear modulus G as functions of thermodynamic state were not given in the Johnson-Cook model and the Zerilli-Armstrong model while the constitutive relations for yield strength Y as functions of strain and strain rate were not given in the Wallace model and the Straub model. Seven constitutive models are constructed based on Y/G=constant and on G/B=constant (B-bulk modulus), respectively. The variations of longitudinal stress, transverse stress, and yield strength of oxygen-free high-conductive (OFHC) copper with time under planar shock loading are obtained using the manganin stress gauges and compared with the predicted results by the constructed seven constitutive models. It seems that the pressure, density, temperature, and plastic strain dependence of the yield strength for OFHC copper subjected to planar shock loading is essential to the constitutive description. Planar spall tests for OFHC copper are also performed and the void coalescence-based spall model presented by the authors are applied to numerical simulations of planar spall tests including tests given by Seaman et al. [Phys. Rep. 147, 253 (1987)]. The Steinberg-Cochran-Guinan constitutive model is proved appropriate to the planar shock loading and is adopted in the numerical simulations of planar spall tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic tensile response and fracture of a Zr-based bulk amorphous alloy (BAA) were examined by subjecting samples to uniaxial tensile strain in plate-impact experiments. Following elastic compressive loading to peak stresses ranging between 3.9 and 6.1 GPa, wave interactions produced tensile loading resulting in spallation in the BAA samples. Rear-surface velocity histories, obtained using laser interferometry, provided a real-time measure of the tensile response including spallation. The initial tensile loading was elastic (loading rates approximately 8×105 s-1) and the data were analyzed to obtain a nonlinear, tensile stress-strain relation. Tensile fracture or spall, observed in all experiments, was initiated at a tensile stress of 3.8±0.3 GPa; this initiation value was independent of the impact stress and is significantly higher than that observed for crystalline metals. A phenomenological tensile fracture model was incorporated into one-dimensional wave propagation simulations to gain insight into the BAA tensile response and damage. Good agreement was obtained between the numerical simulations and the experimental measurements. With increasing impact stress, the BAA samples exhibited a change from ductile to brittle tensile response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a metal is shocked above its melting pressure or melted on release, the tensile stresses generated upon reflection of the compressive pulse from a free surface are induced into a liquid state. Instead of the well-known spallation process observed in solid targets, cavitation is expected in the melted material, and liquid fragments are ejected from the free surface. Their size, velocity, and temperature distributions are issues of increasing interest, as well as their impact on other nearby materials, but data are limited on the subject. Here, we present an experimental study performed on tin samples subjected to high pressure laser shocks (ranging from about 50 to 200 GPa) of short duration (∼5 ns). The results include post-test observations of the ejecta recovered after impact on a polycarbonate shield and time-resolved measurements of the free surface velocity through the shield. For shock pressures below some 80 GPa, the velocity profiles are compared to the predictions of one-dimensional simulations involving a multiphase equation of state. For higher loading pressures, the emergence of the shock at the free surface produces a rapid loss of reflectivity so the particle velocity cannot be determined. In all cases, solidified fragments of tin are recovered on the shield. Their sizes, their shapes, and the induced damage depend significantly on shock pressure, and are indicative of a very wide range of ejection velocities. The data provide a basis for a phenomenological description of the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shock response of the intermetallic compound Ni3Al (doped with boron to enhance ductility) has been investigated to determine equation of state and shock induced mechanical properties, and the response is compared to that of pure nickel. Examination of the Hugoniot data suggests that the Ni3Al has a higher compressibility than pure nickel. Elastic precursor decay has been observed, although due to the limited number of specimens available, we were not able to determine the point where the elastic amplitude became stable. Spall and shear strengths were observed to increase to a peak value (at a shock stress of between 6 and 7 GPa) before dropping again. We believe that this may be due to increasing amounts of damage behind the shock front as shocks of increased stress are applied. In a similar manner, spall strength was observed to decrease with pulse duration, again, most likely due to damage accumulating behind the shock front. Finally, it was observed that this material was brittle under all shock loading conditions studied in this investigation. We have proposed, due to the extremely high dislocation velocities imposed by the shock induced strain rates, that boron has effectively been removed from dislocations and hence cannot enhance ductility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of plate-impact spall experiments was conducted to study the spall strength of seven microstructural conditions of aluminum, including three grain sizes of 6061 Al alloy, both ultrapure and commercially pure (1060) polycrystalline aluminum, and single-crystal Al with two different orientations, over the stress range of 4–22 GPa. The pullback velocity, which is a characteristic signature of spall strength, is observed to depend on initial microstructure, impact stress, pulse duration, and loading rate. The pullback velocity generally increases over the stress range of 4–14 GPa and achieves a maximum as the impact stress approaches 22 GPa. The pullback velocity of [100] single-crystal Al is higher than that for both polycrystalline samples and [111] single-crystal samples, indicating that grain orientation strongly affects material response. Experimental results also show that the spall behavior is strongly dependent on sample thickness, while the effect of shock pulse duration was observed to be less significant. Comparison among three 6061 materials indicates that the observed differences depend on initial yield strength. The results also show that initial microstructures and impurities have a diminishing effect on the pullback velocity at stresses near 22 GPa. However, initial properties are observed to have a pronounced effect on the detailed structure of the pullback velocity profile at all stress levels. In particular, an interesting feature, i.e., a sharp slope during pullback followed by a distinct transition to a slower slope, is consistently observed. The occurrence of this change in slope is observed to depend on impact stress, loading rate, and grain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laser spallation technique for measuring the interface strength between a coating and a substrate is similar to laser shock peening, in which the stress wave induced by laser shock cause debond on the interface between a hard coating with micron thickness and a metal substrate. According to the modified experiment setup of the laser spallation technique, finite element analysis simulated the process of the film spallation by taking the laser loading as a direct input. We presented a numerical model of finite element that the laser spallation process includes two related, but uncoupled procedures. One was transient heat transfer in a two-layer medium. The other was the related transient elastic wave propagation in the same two-layer media, which was the result of the thermal misfit by transient heating. Based on the threshold of film spallation, we analyzed the process of laser shocking to study the propagation of stress wave and evaluate the spall resistance of sputtered films. The analysis result showed the dynamic adhesive strength of the interface between the TiN coating and the 304 stainless steel substrate was 193.0 MPa. © 2003 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser-induced weak shock formation in fused silica is studied using standard wave mechanics and applied to thin-film laser spallation experiments. Due to the negative nonlinear elasticity of fused silica, a laser-induced Gaussian stress pulse evolves into a shock after traveling a certain distance in a fused silica substrate. Experimental observations confirm theoretical predictions of shock development. A decompression shock forms and greatly enhances interfacial failure of a thin film deposited on the substrate. The effects of laser fluence and substrate thickness (attenuation) on shock development are also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]