Penetration of confined aluminum nitride targets by tungsten long rods at 1.5–4.5 km/s

Abstract

A series of 26 terminal ballistics experiments was performed to measure the penetration of simple confined aluminum nitride targets by a long tungsten rod. Impact velocities ranged from 1.5 to about 4.5 km/s. The experiments were performed in the reverse ballistic mode using a two-stage light-gas gun. Penetrator diameter, D, was 0.762 mm (0.030 in). The length-to-diameter ratio for the penetrator was L D = 20 for nearly all the tests and never less than L D = 15 . Primary instrumentation for these experiments was four independently timed, 450 kV flash X-rays. These X-rays provided four views of the penetrator-target interaction during the penetration event from which the following data were determined: p = penetration depth as a function of time, L r = remaining length of penetrator as a function of time, as well as final penetration depth, target hole geometry, spatial distribution of the eroded rod material, etc. From these data, u = dp dt = speed of penetration into the target and ν c = d(L−L r ) dt = speed of “consumption” of the long rod were obtained.