NPS Gas Gun for Planar Impact Studies

ORAL

Abstract

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) commissioned a Gas Gun for shock wave studies on 9$^{th}$ October 2009, by performing the first experiment. The Gas Gun is the key element of NPS Shock Wave Research Program within the Physics Department, where well-characterized planar impacts are essential for obtaining high quality data, to characterize a solid material. This first experiment was very successful, and returned key data on the quality of the impact conditions created. The Gas Gun is designed by SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES, and the NPS spent twelve months fabricating the components of the Gas Gun and six months assembling the Gas Gun. Three inch projectile are launched at velocities up to 0.5 km/s, creating high pressure and temperature states that can be used to characterize the fundamental response of relevant materials to dynamic loading. The projectile is launched from a `wrap around' gas breech where helium gas is pressurized to relatively low pressure. This gas is used to accelerate the projectile down a 3m barrel. Upon impact, the speed of the projectile and the flatness of the impact is measured, via a stepped circular pin array circuit. The next stage of development for the Gas Gun is to integrate a Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector (VISAR). The VISAR sees all the waves that flow through the target plate as a result of the impact. This is a key diagnostic for determining material properties under dynamic loading conditions.

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Authors

  • Chien Cheong Ho

    NA

  • Joshua Lusk

    University of New Mexico, Gallup Campus, Sciprint.org, Institute of Gravitation and Cosmology, Moscow, Russia, CSU Long Beach, California State University - East Bay, LLNL, UC Santa Cruz, University of California, Berkeley, Loma Linda Medical University, Northern Illinois University, Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, Dr, Pr, California State University Long Beach, California Polytechnic State University, Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno, NPS, UC-Davis, University of California-Davis, University of California Riverside, Rutgers University, Pomona College, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Materials Research Laboratory, UC Santa Barbara, Naval Postgraduate School, Whittier College, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales - Cardiff School of Biosciences, University of California, Davis - Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Davis - Neurosurgery, Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5050, Queen's University, Belfast, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Technical University of Darmstadt, University of York, University of California, Los Angeles, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Imperial College, The Blackett Laboratory, University of Strathclyde, University of Oxford, UC Berkeley, UC Berkeley, SLAC, Gesellschaft f\"ur Schwerionenforschung GSI, University of Washington, Seattle, LLNL and XIA LLC, University of Graz, University of California, Davis, Naval Surface Warfare Center-Indian Head Division