The STAR Facility is a state-of-the-art facility which can provide a full range of projectile/target interactions. Impact velocities from 0.01 to 16km/s are available with a broad range of diagnostic and analysis capabilities. A diverse technical staff with many years of experience is available for consultations.
Typical areas of study include:
- Advanced Bumper Shield Design
- Armor/Anti-Armor
- High Pressure Equation-of-State
- Dynamic Yield and Tension (Spall) Tests
- Fracture and Fragmentation
- Reactive and Energetic Materials
- Hydrocode Validation
- Precision Ballistic Impacts
- Penetration
- Shock Induced Vaporization
- Toxic and Hazardous Materials Testing
A variety of major gun impact systems is available, including two
- 100 mm compressed gas gun (impact velocities to 1 km/s)
- An 89 mm powder gun (0.5 - 2.3 km/s)
- Two 2-stage light gas guns (bores to 28 mm; velocities to 7 km/sec)
- The Hypervelocity Launcher Facility (6 -19 mm metal plates to 16 km/s) is an add-on to the largest 2-stage gun system
- Smaller gun systems (e.g. rifled barrels) are also available.
Instrumentation and diagnostic capabilities include:
- Velocity Interferometry (VISAR)
- High Resolution Line Imaging VISAR
- Flash X-rays
- Holograms of Ballistic Impacts and Debris Generation
- Optical Multi-Channel Spectroscopy of Impact Flash Events
- Photometrics-Fast Framing and Streak Cameras
- Polyvinylidine Diflouride (PVDF) Gauges
- 187 Channels of Digital Recording Instrumentation
- 21 Channels of High Frequency Analog Recording Instrumentation
On Site Facility Support:
- Machine Shop
- Dark Room
- Cleanroom Optics Lab
- Electronics Development Lab Lapping Facility
- Computers and software for data reduction/interpretation
Availability
A complete technical and scientific staff is available to aid in the definition and execution of an experimental program and in the reduction of data. As well, some of the premier computational modeling facilities and codes in the world are easily available for problem characterization if needed. Contact the user liaison for more information. Complimentary research facilities are available at the Explosives component Facility.
