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FOREWORD
For nearly sixty years, the shock-compression science of solids (SCSS) has evolved using paradigms that
came out of the study of compressible fluid flow phenomena. This is a natural association, because early interest
in SCSS was focussed around the response of solids under dynamic high pressures and high temperatures where
the effect of shear was considered secondary. In recent years, however, there has been an increasing realization,
both from theoretical studies and experimental measurements, that the paradigms borrowed from compressible
fluid flow phenomena may not be adequate for describing the shock compression response of solids. Most solids
have defects and heterogeneous structures at the meso-scale. The interaction of shock waves with the different
microstractural features, together with material anisotropy effects, produce phenomena that are unlike those in
fluids, which lack such meso-scale heterogeneity. Shock-wave propagation in solids at the mesoscopic "grain"
level is, thus, no longer a simple shock propagating in a homogeneous medium, but a disturbance whose
character is influenced by meso-scale structures evolving during wave propagation, and even reflecting the
effects of the loading history.
In search of clues to create new paradigms for the shock response of solids, a special plenary session
entitled, "What is a Shock Wave?" was organized during the 12th APS SCCM International Conference,
underlining the auspicious occasion that this was the first meeting of the 21st century. The conference also
marked the dawn of an era that will see our field grow in new directions and flourish with the development of
novel methods for generating extreme pressure and temperature, diagnostics with nanoscale spatial and temporal
probing devices, and simulations that allow bridging across all length scales. Thus, the plenary speakers were
asked not only to report on the state of the art findings, but also to challenge the audience with a new vision. The
session included a presentation by Lee Davison, who gave an overview of the traditional analysis of nonlinear
wave propagation in solids, which was followed by Jim Asay's talk on "Old Paradigms and New Challenges."
Brad Holian showed results of molecular dynamics simulations of shock wave propagation in defect-free single
crystals. John Oilman presented a mechanics perspective relating the few similarities and many differences
between elasticity and plasticity. John Lee talked about the role of turbulence in the propagation of strong shocks
and detonation waves, and Craig Tarver described what a shock wave is to an explosive molecule. It is
impossible to capture in a few words the challenges and the vision presented by the speakers. The best reward,
we hope, is to see the response to these challenges and the vision, in future APS SCCM topical conferences.
In the same spirit Academician V.E. Fortov was invited to deliver a plenary talk entitled "Shock
Compression of Condensed Non-ideal Plasmas," in which he summarized primarily Russian contributions and
spoke of opportunities to explore extreme state of matter under high pressure shock compression of solids. The
APS SCCM award presentation made by the recipient, Yogi Gupta, described the many accomplishments of
spectroscopic studies of shock compression phenomena with some fascinating new results regarding the shockinduced freezing of water. With the glory of the past and a vision to the future, Jerry Forbes made a succinct
presentation of the history of our SCCM topical group. He described the hard work of many, whose efforts led to
the association of our field with the American Physical Society and helped carve an important area of research in
condensed matter science. It behooves us therefore to set high standards, and to move forward with a vision that
embraces new applications and challenges, so that this field is attractive for future scientists and engineers.
As with previous meetings, this proceedings of the 12th Biennial International Conference of the APS SCCM
Topical Group includes the most recent progress and thoughts in the expanding shock wave community. Topics
include time-resolved measurements, in-situ instrumentation, theory, modeling, computations, and applications
of various aspects of the physics, chemistry, mechanics, and materials science of shock compression of
condensed matter. This volume is not only a record of the latest advances in shock-compression science, but also
a testimony to the facts that (a) our community is truly becoming international and (b) interesting and significant
application and progress is being made in such areas as geophysics, astrophysics, and materials synthesis.
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Considerable attention continues to be focused on the dynamic deformation and failure response of metals and
ceramics, and the initiation and safety aspects of energetic materials. Developments in measurement techniques
and methods for generating extreme conditions of pressure and temperature are showing considerable progress.
The diversity of the subject matter covered in this volume makes it difficult to fully assimilate; however, an
extensive index is provided as a source of easy entry into various technical subjects. Manuscripts of
presentations made at the conference and submitted to the editors are included in this volume. The editors
apologize for any editorial errors that may have occurred as part of the publication process.
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