Hypervelocity Impact Experiments on Polycarbonate Targets: Cratering Efficiency and Crater Shape

Abstract We conducted impact experiments using a polycarbonate plate to investigate properties as a target, i.e., effects of impact velocity, angle, projectile size, and shape on cratering efficiency and crater shape. The results showed that the impact velocity dependence of crater diameter for impact onto a polycarbonate plate was larger than that for impact onto a metal, sedimentary rock, and glass target. We found that the shallow impact angles of less than 60° from the target surface made the crater shape elliptical and its behavior was similar to that of metals. Elongated fiber projectiles also made the crater shape elliptical, and the central pits of craters more closely reflected the shape of the projectiles.