Generation of pressure pulses by low velocity impact

Abstract

Pressure pulses of amplitude up to 5 GPa and duration-400 us have been produced very simply by dropping a weight (5 kg) from a height ( lt; 2 m) on a tungsten carbide opposed-anvil set up with pyrophyllite gasket and talc pressure transmitting medium . Such pressure pulses will find application in the study of pressure-induced phase transitions in solids, specially the kinetic aspects of such transitions