Active Measurements of Defect Processes in Shock-Compressed Metals and Other Solids

Solid samples have been routinely recovered for examination after having been subjected to high pressure shock loading. Such investigations have revealed many unique and interesting defect features and are essential if a detailed understanding of shock deformation processes is to be achieved. Nevertheless, examination of samples hours or days after they are compressed for only a few microseconds in a loading whose rise time may be subnanosecond fails to address the relationship between the residual defect structure and that existing during the loading. Electrical probes, and to a lesser extent optical probes, have provided reasonably direct measurements of defect states and some limited information on the evolution of these states. For example, measurements of the electrical resistance of metals provide an indication of vacancy concentrations. Similarly, measurements of shock-induced electrical polarization in insulating solids have provided evidence that large numbers of point defects are generated and displaced by the stress and velocity gradients within the shock fronts. Optical measurements of shock-induced bleaching of color centers in NaCl have provided some evidence for kinetics of the formation of higher-order point defects.