PENETRATION OF CONFINED ALUMINUM NITRIDE TARGETS BY TUNGSTEN LONG RODS AT 1.5-4.5 KM S/

A series of 26 terminal ballistics experiments was performed to measur e the penetration of simple confined aluminum nitride targets by a lon g tungsten rod. Impact velocities ranged from 1.5 to about 4.5 km/s. T he experiments were performed in the reverse ballistic mode using a tw o-stage light-gas gun. Penetrator diameter, D, was 0.762 mm (0.030 in) . The length-to-diameter ratio for the penetrator was L/D = 20 for nea rly all the tests and never less than L/D = 15. Primary instrumentatio n for these experiments was four independently timed, 450 kV flash X-r ays. These X-rays provided four views of the penetrator-target interac tion during the penetration event from which the following data were d etermined: p = penetration depth as a function of time, L(r) = remaini ng length of penetrator as a function of time, as well as final penetr ation depth, target hole geometry, spatial distribution of the eroded rod material, etc. From these data, u = dp/dt = speed of penetration i nto the target and v(c) = d(L - L(r))/dt = speed of ''consumption'' of the long rod were obtained.