Measurement of Ballistic Impact Flash

Abstract

The downrange flash resulting from the perforation of thin aluminum plates by high velocity steel spheres was investigated to determine how the flash scales with changes in projectile velocity. It was found that two distinct flash intensity maximums occur; one approximately 10 microseconds after penetration, the second some 30 to 80 microseconds later. For a given size sphere, both the spectral irradiance of these two flashes and the energy of the flash scale as approximately the fourth power of the velocity. Coating the impact side of the target with epoxy based aircraft paint or a 0.002 inch layer of aircraft fuel cell sealant reduced the flash by factors or 5 to 300, depending on the wavelength examined.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1974
Accession Number
ADA004320

Entities

People

  • John W. Mansur

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Aircrafts
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Detectors
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electronic Equipment
  • Energy
  • Equations
  • Explosives
  • Fuel Cells
  • Impact Flash
  • Intensity
  • Light Sources
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Photomultiplier Tubes

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Polymer Science and Engineering.
  • ballistics.

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology