X-ray diffraction data from shock-compressed copper: Some consequences of metallurgical texture

Abstract

We report the measurements of in situ Debye–Scherrer x-ray diffraction from copper foils shock compressed at the Orion laser facility to pressure in the range of 10–40 GPa. Our objective was to record distortion (variation of scattering angle at peak intensity, 2θ, with azimuthal position, φ, around the diffraction ring) of the Debye–Scherrer rings. We intended to measure the anisotropy of elastic strain and infer the effective strength of copper at a high strain rate. However, our measured diffraction data from all crystallographic reflection planes considered together are not consistent with a simple model that assumes homogeneous elastic strain. Consideration of both the β-fiber metallurgical texture of the rolled copper foil that we used as the sample material and the measured diffraction linewidths provides an empirical understanding of the data. We extend our understanding by using a Taylor-type, single-crystal plasticity model in which the total strain of each grain is assumed to be identical to that of the whole sample. This model reproduces many features of our experimental data and points to the importance of accounting for the plastic anisotropy of single-crystal grains, which can, in turn, lead to inter-grain elastic strain inhomogeneity and complex distortions of the diffraction rings.