title: Femtosecond visualization of lattice dynamics in shock-compressed matter.
abstract: The ultrafast evolution of microstructure is key to understanding high-pressure and strain-rate phenomena. However, the visualization of lattice dynamics at scales commensurate with those of atomistic simulations has been challenging. Here, we report femtosecond x-ray diffraction measurements unveiling the response of copper to laser shock-compression at peak normal elastic stresses of ~73 gigapascals (GPa) and strain rates of 10(9) per second. We capture the evolution of the lattice from a one-dimensional (1D) elastic to a 3D plastically relaxed state within a few tens of picoseconds, after reaching shear stresses of 18 GPa. Our in situ high-precision measurement of material strength at spatial (<1 micrometer) and temporal (<50 picoseconds) scales provides a direct comparison with multimillion-atom molecular dynamics simulations.
authors.affiliation: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. despina@slac.stanford.edu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milathianaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boutet
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Higginbotham
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ratner
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Gleason
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Messerschmidt
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Seibert
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hering
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wark