The role of sample–window coupling in shock temperature experiments

Abstract

Radiometric studies of opaque materials under shock compression probe a sample–window interface that may be very different than the bulk state. Subtle experimental details, particularly an initial sample–window gap vs an adhesively bonded stack, have tremendous influence on measured temperature. This work experimentally tests gapped vs bonded targets and theoretically investigates observed differences in the measured temperature. The results indicate that perturbations created by a thin adhesive are smaller than those suggested by a previous work, whereas sample–window gaps alter the measured state more significantly than that previously realized.