AN IMPACT TECHNIQUE TO ACCELERATE FLIER PLATES TO VELOCITIES OVER 12 KM S/

Very high pressure and acceleration is necessary to launch flier plate s to hypervelocities. In addition, the high pressure loading must be u niform, structured, and shockless, i.e., time-dependent to prevent the flier plate from either fracturing or melting. In this paper, a novel technique is described which allows the use of 100 GPa megabar loadin g pressures and 10(9)-g acceleration to launch intact flier plates to velocities of 12.2 km/s. The technique has been used to launch nominal ly 1-mm thick aluminum, magnesium, and titanium alloy plates to veloci ties over 10 km/s, and 0.5-nun thick aluminum and titanium alloy plate s to velocities of 12.2 km/s.