Implementation of Diffusion and Reaction Mechanisms for Reactive Ejecta Simulations

When a metal with a perturbed surface is strongly shocked, the surface generates micron-sized particles from the surface upon release of the shock wave as a limiting case of the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI). The creation, evolution and transport of these particles, commonly known as ejecta, is an active area of research which is important for the understanding of materials in shocked environments. This project intends to investigate the scenario of metal ejecta transport in a carrier gas with which the metal will undergo a chemical reaction. The project is being executed in the Lagrangian hydrocode multi-physics solver FLAG, and research is being done on implementing mass diffusion and reaction mechanisms to simulate these physics. The mechanisms will allow for the analysis of the development of a reacted metal layer (e.g., hydride or oxide), internal stresses within the material, and deformation of the particle under extreme conditions. Future work on developing additional components for fully resolved simulations of reactive ejecta particles, after verification of the current mechanisms, is also outlined.