LASER COMPRESSION OF MONOCRYSTALLINE TANTALUM.

Monocrystalline tantalum with orientations [100] and [111] was subjected to laser driven compression at laser energies of 350 to 685 J, generating shock amplitudes varying from 15 to 100 GPa. The laser beam, with a beam spot diameter of ~1 mm, created a crater of significant depth (~ 80 to ~ 200 |im). Twins were observed just below the crater surface (~ 42 |im) by back-scattered SEM. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed profuse mechanical twinning within a distance from the energy deposition surface of ~ 1.5 mm at 684 J compression power, corresponding to an approximate pressure of 35 GPa. The decay of the pulse through the specimens was accompanied by an attendant decrease in the density of shock-generated dislocations. Microhardness measurements were conducted on the recovered samples. The experimentally measured dislocation densities and threshold stress for twinning are compared with predictions using analyses based on the constitutive response and the similarities and differences are discussed in terms of the mechanisms of defect generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]