High-resolution measurements of shock behavior across frictional Be/Cu interfaces

A longstanding question in the field of multi-material behavior pertains to the treatment of interfaces possessing finite frictional strength under high dynamic pressures and shear. Here, we examine the effects of constrained interface sliding on local deformation near the boundary using new, high-resolution measurements combined with simulations to infer friction strength. The experiments use laser driven plate impacts at the Los Alamos National Laboratory TRIDENT Laser Facility to launch a shock wave into a target consisting of a central cylindrical plate of Be and an outer ring of Cu oriented, such that the shock propagates at nearly a 90 angle to the interface normal producing a large velocity gradient across the material boundary. Impact experiments were performed on targets that underwent diffusion bonding of the two materials and on targets that were only press fit together. Friction-induced surface deformation was diagnosed using line-imaging velocity interferometry and surface Transient Imaging Displacement Interferometry in the immediate region of the interface. In these studies, we observed a significant behavioral change in both simulations and experiments between targets with diffusion bonded interfaces and those that were press fit. Bonded targets exhibited a mutual dragging between the Be and Cu parts throughout the entire experiment, whereas unbonded targets displayed a surface slope reversal on the Cu side of the interface, which simulations suggest arise due to altered wave interactions from a 3× lower frictional force compared to the bonded interface.