Pulse mitigation by a composite discrete medium

C. Daraio; V.F. Nesterenko; E.B. Herbold; S. Jin

doi:doi:10.1051/jp4:2006134073

Issue		J. Phys. IV France Volume 134, August 2006 EURODYMAT 2006 - 8th International Conference on Mechanical and Physical Behaviour of Materials under Dynamic Loading


Page(s)		473 - 479
DOI		https://doi.org/10.1051/jp4:2006134073
Published online		26 July 2006

EURODYMAT 2006 - 8th International Conference on Mehanical and Physical Behaviour of Materials under Dynamic Loading
J. Cirne, R. Dormeval, et al.
J. Phys. IV France 134 (2006) 473-479
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:2006134073

Pulse mitigation by a composite discrete medium

C. Daraio¹, V.F. Nesterenko^{1, 2}, E.B. Herbold² and S. Jin^{1, 2}

¹ Materials Science and Engineering Program
² Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0411, USA

Published online: 26 July 2006

Abstract
The strongly nonlinear interaction between elements in discrete materials (e.g., grains in granular media) is responsible for their unique wave propagation properties. The paper will present an experimental observation of impulse energy confinement and the resultant disintegration of shock and solitary waves by discrete materials with strongly nonlinear interaction between elements. Experiments and numerical calculations will be presented for alternating ensembles of high-modulus vs orders of magnitude lower-modulus chains of spheres of different masses. The trapped energy is contained within the “softer” portions of the composite chain and is slowly released in the form of weak, separated pulses over an extended period of time. This effect is enhanced by using a specific group assembly and a superimposed force.