Author(s)

B. Arad, S. Eliezer, I. Gilath, E. Moshe & C.G. Simon

Abstract

A high irradiance, short-duration pulsed laser can simulate hypervelocity micrometeroid and debris impacts both on inactive substrates and on surface- active impact detectors. The similarity between impact events in space and laser impacts is evidenced by crater morphology and consecutive failure stages as a result of hydrodynamic flow in the shocked area for aluminum, gold and alumina (ceramics), and by discharge initiation on metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) capacitor impact detectors. The similarity between conditions was based on the assumptions that (1) the laser induced surface ablation pressure is equal to that created by a hypevelocity impactor, (2) the impact time and impactor diameter are equal to the laser pulse time and spot diameter, and (3) the laser and impactor induced impulses are equal. Usin

Keywords