SUPERDEEP PENETRATION

The experimental discovery of the super-deep penetration of microparti cles into strong materials by hypervelocity impact documented the real ity of earlier predictions of fracture mechanics concerning the anomal ously low drag of a body moving like a wedge in a brittle medium. In t he present paper, some wedge-embedded penetration regimen models, taki ng into account arbitrary friction and plastic deformations near conta ct areas, shaving effects, and a complex or even fractal geometry of a cracking front, are advanced. The equation for drag is derived using the author's invariant GAMMA-integral equivalent to the energy conserv ation law. The thrust of a motor necessary to propel a projectile or v ehicle in hard rock is evaluated. It is shown that the thrust of the N ASA space shuttle's rocket booster suffices to provide the penetration of a small projectile or vehicle in strong granite for the distance o f a mile during a short span of time. Super-deep penetration of microp articles is examined using results from fracture quantum mechanics. Th e hypothesis is advanced that the super-deep penetration of microparti cles represents the self-propagation of a specific internal solitary w ave forming a cavity with a projectile moving inside the cavity withou t drag. This solitary wave is named the rayleighon, because it propaga tes with the Rayleigh speed. It is suggested that this paper would pro vide a possible stimulus for conversion of some Department of Defense rocket motor industries towards civil exploration of the Earth, which is studied much less than the cosmos.