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Lemke, Raymond W.

Publications and source records attributed to Lemke, Raymond W..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Fluid-phase helium: Shock-compression experiments, quantum molecular dynamics simulations, and development of an equation of state

Helium (He) plays a critical role in numerous areas ranging from the study of celestial objects like brown dwarfs and gas giants to modern-day technologies like nuclear energy and rocket propulsion. For many of these applications, it is essential to have a reliable equation of state (EOS) for He that yields an accurate representation of its thermodynamic behavior. To help constrain and develop such EOS models, we have performed a series of shock-compression experiments on cryogenic liquid He to pressures exceeding 100 GPa using a magnetically accelerated flyer plate on Sandia National Laboratories' Z-machine. We have also performed quantum molecular dynamics simulations that are consistent with our shock measurements. None of the previously available EOSs agree with our experimental and simulation results, motivating the development of a fluid-phase He EOS that we present in this study. Here, we show that our EOS yields good agreement with published data that span temperatures and pressures encountered across a diverse array of applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Argon equation of state data to 1 TPa: Shock compression experiments and simulations

Argon is the most abundant noble gas on Earth and its noble, atomic fluid nature makes it an excellent candidate for comparison of experiment and theory at extreme conditions. For this study, we performed a combined computational and experimental study on shock compressed cryogenic liquid argon. Using Sandia's Z machine, we shock compressed liquid argon to 600 GPa and reshock states up to 950 GPa. Laser shock experiments at the Omega Laser facility extend the principal Hugoniot to 1000 GPa and provided temperature data along the principal Hugoniot. The plate impact experiments and laser shock experiments used well-characterized impedance matching standards and demonstrate consistent results between the two platforms over a common range. Density functional theory based molecular dynamics simulations provided additional data on the Hugoniot to 600 GPa. The combined experimental data and simulation results provide constraints on the development of new equation of state models at extreme conditions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

The Principal Hugoniot of Forsterite to 950 GPa

Forsterite (Mg 2 SiO 4 ) single crystals were shock compressed to pressures between 200 and 950 GPa using independent plate–impact steady shocks and laser–driven decaying shock compression experiments. Additionally, we performed density functional theory–based molecular dynamics to aid interpretation of the experimental data and to investigate possible phase transformations and phase separations along the Hugoniot. We show that the experimentally obtained Hugoniot cannot distinguish between a pure liquid Mg 2 SiO 4 and an assemblage of solid MgO plus liquid magnesium silicate. In conclusion, the measured reflectivity is nonzero and increases with pressure, which implies that the liquid is a poor electrical conductor at low pressures and that the conductivity increases with pressure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Sandia Dynamic Materials Program Strategic Plan.

Materials in nuclear and conventional weapons can reach multi-megabar pressures and 1000s of degree temperatures on timescales ranging from microseconds to nanoseconds. Understanding the response of complex materials under these conditions is important for designing and assessing changes to nuclear weapons. In the next few decades, a major concern will be evaluating the behavior of aging materials and remanufactured components. The science to enable the program to underwrite decisions quickly and confidently on use, remanufacturing, and replacement of these materials will be critical to NNSA’s new Stockpile Responsiveness Program. Material response is also important for assessing the risks posed by adversaries or proliferants. Dynamic materials research, which refers to the use of high-speed experiments to produce extreme conditions in matter, is an important part of NNSA’s Stockpile Stewardship Program.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Shock compression response of poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) plastic to 985 GPa

Poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) plastic (PMP) is a hydrocarbon polymer with potential applications to inertial confinement fusion experiments and as a Hugoniot impedance matching standard for equation of state experiments. Using Sandia's Z-machine, we performed a series of flyer plate experiments to measure the principal Hugoniot and reshock states of PMP up to 985 GPa. The principal Hugoniot measurements validate density functional theory (DFT) calculations along the Hugoniot. The DFT calculations are further analyzed using a bond tracking method to understand the dissociation pathway under shock compression. Complete dissociation occurs at a compression factor similar to other sp3-hybridized, C-C bonded systems, which suggests a limiting compression for C-C bonds. The combined experimental and DFT results provide a solid basis for constructing an equation of state model for PMP.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Shock response and phase transitions of MgO at planetary impact conditions

The moon-forming impact and the subsequent evolution of the proto-Earth is strongly dependent on the properties of materials at the extreme conditions generated by this violent collision. We examine the high pressure behavior of MgO, one of the dominant constituents in Earth’s mantle, using high-precision, plate impact shock compression experiments performed on Sandia National Laboratories’ Z Machine and extensive quantum calculations using density functional theory (DFT) and quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods. The combined data span from ambient conditions to 1.2 TPa and 42,000 K, showing solid-solid and solid-liquid phase boundaries. Furthermore our results indicate that under impact the solid and liquid phases coexist for more than 100 GPa, pushing complete melting to pressures in excess of 600 GPa. Furthermore, the high pressure required for complete shock melting has implications for a broad range of planetary collision events.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗