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Visualization of impact cratering in granular media using quarter space penetration tests

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Abstract

Impact cratering has a number of important scientific, military, and civilian applications. In this study, the techniques of quarter space penetration, transparent soil modeling, and high-speed photography are combined to visualize impact cratering of spherical projectiles as they penetrate into different granular media. The shape and size of the cross section of the impact crater were visualized and quantified using these techniques for two granular materials, in both dry and saturated conditions. The crater rate of expansion and the velocity decay were also mapped and used to estimate deceleration rates of the crater expansion. A tool is presented for assessing the shape and size of the crater for the case when the penetrator diverges from the observation window. Shallower craters were observed in angular fused quartz targets in comparison to the rounded sand targets. Similarly, higher viscosity saturating fluids lead to narrower cavities. Besides the open cavity, permanent dilation regions ahead of the projectile were also mapped. The evolution of the crater versus time was used to estimate the deceleration of the rate of expansion of the crater. New Poncelet parameters are also developed for specific testing conditions not available in the literature.

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Data availability

Data are available on request from the authors.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Strategic and Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) Project No: MR19-1277 and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Grant No: HDTRA1-10-1-0049. Fused quartz powder used in this investigation was manufactured by Mineral Technology Corporation (Mintec). Low Color Sucrose™ used to match the granular fused quartz was manufactured by Indiana Sugars. The HX-5 high-speed camera was manufactured by NAC Image Technology Inc.

Funding

The authors thank the Strategic and Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) Project No: MR19-1277 and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Grant No: HDTRA1-10-1-0049 for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Construction Management and Civil Engineering Technology, New York City College of Technology, Brooklyn, New York, USA

    Ivan L. Guzman

  2. Civil and Urban Engineering Department, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, USA

    Magued Iskander & Stephan Bless

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  1. Ivan L. Guzman
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  2. Magued Iskander
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This work was part of the first author’s dissertation at NYU conducted under the supervision of the second author. The second and third authors were Principal Investigators of the project.

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Correspondence to Magued Iskander.

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Guzman, I.L., Iskander, M. & Bless, S. Visualization of impact cratering in granular media using quarter space penetration tests . Granular Matter 23, 63 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-021-01131-4

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