Mesoscale Descriptions of Shock-Loaded Heterogeneous Porous Materials

Recent numerical simulations and experimental studies have revealed highly structured waves associated with impact loaded heterogeneous materials. It is observed that shock response includes highly fluctuating states and localization effects due to the interaction of multiple waves and deformation at material boundaries. These features have also been experimentally observed using a line-imaging interferometer technique in impact shots on thin porous layers (2-4 mm) of granular sugar crystals. In this work, three-dimensional numerical simulations are discussed that reproduce these conditions. The focus of this study centers on interrogation of the extensive numerical data from mesoscale simulations. Detailed wave fields are probed using imaging and filtering techniques to determine statistical properties of the shock fields. These methods provide statistical distribution information that is needed toward developing new continuum level descriptions of shock loaded heterogeneous materials.