Influence of Shock Wave Measurement Technique on the Determination of Hugoniot States.

In theory, a shock wave traveling through a material gives rise to a well defined Hugoniot state. However, in practice, the measurement technique used to probe the shocked state imparts on the data a unique set of experimental artifacts which can affect interpretation of this data. Two commonly used methods for acquiring shock wave data, VISAR and inclined-mirror measurements are examined to determine the effects of the measurement technique on the final Hugoniot determination. Recent plate impact experiments on the ceramic silicon carbide are used to calibrate a one-dimensional computer model, which is then used to simulate experimental VISAR and inclined mirror data. The results, which highlight potential pitfalls in interpretation of experimental data, will be discussed and solutions to the discrepancies will be proposed. Further, this work is extended to include ceramics that undergo phase transitions. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]