Shock-induced structures in copper

Shock loading of M3 copper within strain rate range of 5·10⁶ - 5,7·10⁶ s^-1 reveals a nucleation of structural objects of 5-30 µm in diameter, which present the three dimensional frameworks composed from shear bands of 50-200 nm spacing. The structures are shown to be nucleated by means of interference of longitudinal and periphery release waves. Transition of the material into structure unstable state responsible for the shear banding happens when rate of change of the velocity variance at the mesoscale becomes higher than the rate of change of the mean particle velocity. The sites of nucleation of 3D-structures are speculated to be the staking faults generated under action of chaotic velocity pulsations relevant to dynamic deformation. The physical model for formation of 3D-structures takes into account the intersection of the partial dislocations and Lomer - Cottrell barriers.