Dynamic Compression of Liquids from Measurements on Strong Shock Waves

Abstract

High explosives were used to drive strong shock waves into various liquids, and a moving‐image camera was employed to determine velocities associated with the shock waves. The measured velocities are transformed to pressure‐compression points by applying the conservation relations. The pressures attained vary among the 15 liquids studied but are typically in the range 50 kilobars to 150 kilobars. For water, more extensive experimentation suffices to determine the Hugoniot curve from 30 kilobars to 450 kilobars. The highest pressure for each of the liquids extends the available data range from static experimentation several fold. A shock‐wave‐reflection experimental method is described, the purpose of which is to measure the useful thermodynamic variable (ΔH/ΔV)_P at high pressures. Results are given for water. Qualitative experiments to study the transparency of shocked water, carbon tetrachloride, ethyl alcohol, and benzene are reported.