Thermodynamics analysis of aluminum plasma transition induced by hypervelocity impact

The production of plasmas during hypervelocity meteoroid and space debris impact has been proposed to explain the presence of paleomagnetic fields on the lunar surface, and also the electromagnetic damage to spacecraft electronic devices. Based on Gibbs' ensemble theory, we deduce Saha equation of state and figure out the ionization degree; further, by using the derivation of Clausius-Clapeyron equation, we obtain the entropy increase and latent heat of plasma transition after vaporization; finally, we analyze the conversion efficiency of kinetic energy into internal energy, present two key contradictions, and revise them with the entropy increase, latent heat, and conversion efficiency. We analyze the aluminum plasma transition from multiple perspectives of the equation of state, latent heat of phase transition, and conversion efficiency and propose the internal energy and impact velocity criterion, based on the laws of thermodynamics. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.