CHEMISTRY AND PHASE-TRANSITIONS FROM HYPERVELOCITY IMPACTS

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study hypervelocity impacts of an ultrathin flyer plate with a semi-infinite two-dimensional mode l diatomic molecular solid. We show that these hypervelocity impacts c an produce a dissociative phase transition from a molecular to a close -packed solid in the target material. We also show that hypervelocity impacts of ultrathin plates can produce extensive chemical reactions l eading to a detonation accompanied by a phase transition in an energet ic version of the model. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.