Dynamics of oblique impact in a 2D photoelastic granular medium

Penetration of a solid projectile into dry granular matter is studied via two-dimensional impact experiments with bidisperse photoelastic grains. The drag force acting on the projectile is determined by high-speed imaging of the projectile's dynamics combined with the local granular response of the photoelastic grains. This force was previously shown using vertical impact to be the sum of a static, depth-dependent drag and a velocity-dependent inertial drag. Here the impact occurs obliquely, invoking a significant horizontal drag force that has not been fully explored. Accordingly we study the drag force model for oblique impact. We consider the influence of the projectile's impact speed and initial impact angle on its resultant trajectory. The path of the projectile changes drastically with impact angle. We therefore connect the effect of the impact angle to the nature of the drag force exerted on the projectile by the granular medium.