Friction in high-speed impact experiments

The physical interactions at the contact interface between two metals moving relative to one another are not well understood, particularly when the relative velocity between the bodies becomes a significant fraction of the sound speed in either material. Our goal is to characterize the interfacial dynamics occurring between two metal surfaces sliding at high loads (up to 300 kbar) and at high speeds (greater than 100 m/s). We are developing a technique where a high-speed spinning projectile is fired from a rifled gun at a rod instrumented with electrical resistance strain gauges for measuring both longitudinal and torsional strain waves. The observed traces, in conjunction with computer simulations, are used to estimate the normal and tangential force components at the interface to produce an estimate of the coefficient of friction. A preliminary estimate for a copper/steel interface is presented.