Digital speckle radiography—a new ballistic measurement technique

Abstract

Digital speckle radiography is a measurement technique which is capable of visualizing internal flow fields within an opaque material undergoing a ballistic impact. This recent development has been successfully applied to the study of polyester, cement, sand and glass targets. The technique is based on digital speckle photography but, instead of producing the required speckle pattern by traditional means, the specimen is seeded with a layer of X-ray opaque filings. By utilizing two X-ray heads and varying the delays and position of the seeded layer, a full three-dimensional displacement map can be built up. The theories behind the technique are introduced, and results presented from two-dimensional displacement measurements on sand subjected to rod impact and three-dimensional measurements of cement being impacted by a shaped charge jet.