Direct visualization of laser-driven dynamic fragmentation in tin by in situ x-ray diffraction

We present a novel method for investigating laser-driven dynamic fragmentation in tin using in situ X-ray diffraction. Our experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the method for simultaneously identifying the phase and temperature of fragments through analysis of the diffraction pattern. Surprisingly, we observe a deviation from the widely accepted isentropic release assumption, with the temperature of the fragments being found to be more than 100 K higher than expected, owing to the release of plastic work during dynamic fragmentation. Our findings are further verified through extensive large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, in which strain energies are found to be transferred into thermal energies during the nucleation and growth of voids, leading to an increase in temperature. Our findings thus provide crucial insights into the impact-driven dynamic fragmentation phenomenon and reveal the significant influence of plastic work on material response during shock release.