Study of processes in polymer targets under high-energy exposure

We studied the impact of a powerful relativistic electron beam on polymer targets at energy density up to 1 kJ/cm2. Experiments were carried out on high current electron accelerator “Kalmar” at beam current up to 45 kA and electron energy up to 300 keV. Laser shadow streak image was used to visualize the dynamics of shock waves in transparent materials. Three-dimensional numerical simulation of gasdynamic phenomena in the diode gap and elastoplastic phenomena that depend on them in the target material was performed using MARPLE3D multiphysics software package. The new technique was designed for end-to-end modeling including heating and evaporation of the target under the action of the electron beam and nonlinear wave processes leading to internal fractures and spalling phenomena in the target material. We use wide-range equation of state for the description of the liquid and solid phases of matter at low temperatures. Appropriate modeling of this complex problem is based on high resolution numerical methods as well as on high performance computing. The implemented computer models are verified by experimental data. The developed software can be used for numerical stress-strain analysis of various structural units loaded by strong pulsed forces and/or energy fluxes.