DYNAMIC FRACTURE OF GLASS MATERIALS UNDER SHOCKWAVES INDUCED BY PULSED LASER IRRADIATION AT VERY SHORT DURATIONS

Abstract
The study of fracture induced by a laser-driven shockwave loading of solid targets leads to an unusual range of stress (hundreds of GPa) and pulse duration (a few ns). The present paper deals with the spallation of glass materials in this specific range. An analytical and numerical study reveals the influence of various parameters upon dynamic fracture, which is essentially characterized by the thickness of the spalled layer. Preliminary experimental results on glass targets irradiated by laser pulses are presented. The observed behaviour is very different from the one of ductile materials like aluminum or copper.