Numerical Analysis of an Imploding Shock Wave in Solid

TL;DR

This paper presents a hydrodynamic analysis of an imploding shock wave in solid lead, demonstrating how extreme pressures, densities, and temperatures can be achieved through shock convergence.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed hydrodynamic simulation using a three-term equation of state to analyze shock implosion in solids, highlighting the extreme conditions generated.

Findings

Pressure of tens of megabars achieved at the center

Densities many times greater than normal solids

Temperatures of hundreds of thousands of degrees

Abstract

Spherical or cylindrical convergent shock waves in imploding materials are one of the most effective ways to produce extremely high pressures, densities and temperatures, hardly attainable in plane shock waves generated by chemical high explosives or by the impact of high velocities objects. Pressure of the order of tens of megabars, densities many times greater than the normal density of solids and temperatures of hundreds of thousands degree can be easily produced in the convergence central region of the imploding shock wave. In this work we perform a hydrodynamic analysis of a spherical mass of lead imploded by an external constant pressure of 1 Mbar acting on its surface. The aim is to monitor the rise of pressure, density, velocity and temperature with the convergence and reflection of the shock wave at the centre. The analysis was carried out by a hydrodynamic code and by making use of the three-term equation of state for solids. This equation of state takes into account the elastic pressure, the thermal pressure of atoms and the thermal pressure of electrons in solids submitted to strong shock compressions.