Chapter 79 - Recent advances in high-pressure equation-of-state capabilities

Abstract

For many scientific and programmatic applications, it is necessary to determine the shock compression response of materials to several tens of Mbar. In addition, a complete EOS is often needed in these applications, which requires that shock data be supplemented with other information, such as temperature measurements or by EOS data off the principal Hugoniot. Recent developments in the use of fast pulsed power techniques for EOS studies have been useful in achieving these goals. In particular, the Z accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories, which develops over 20 million amperes of current in 100-200 ns, can be used to produce muM-Mbar shock pressures and to obtain continuous compression data to pressures exceeding 1 Mbar. With this technique, isentropic compression data have been obtained on several materials to pressures of several hundred kbar. The technique has also been used to launch ultra-high velocity flyer plates to a maximum velocity of 14 km/s, which can be used to produce impact pressures of several Mbar in low impedance materials and over 10 Mbar in high impedance materials. The paper will review developments in both of these areas.