Dynamic response of mercury subjected to pressure wave

Kogawa, Hiroyuki  ; Futakawa, Masatoshi  ; Ishikura, Shuichi

A high power pulsed proton beam will be injected into a mercury target for nuclear spallation reaction. Due to the pulsed proton injection, mercury is heated rapidly and pressure waves are generated. The mercury target vessel, in which mercury is enclosed, is subjected to the pressure waves. Dynamic response of mercury is important to evaluate the integrity of the mercury target vessel. An impact experiments on the mercury by using the split-Hopkinson pressure-bar (SHPB) technique were carried out. Numerical analyses were also carried out to verify the analytical model by using an explicit FEM code. It is found that the analytical results approximately represented the experimental results. And it was recognized that the stiffness of mercury under impact condition was independent of the impact velocity in this experimental range.