Erosion from Hypervelocity Impacts with Simultaneously Launched Particles

Abstract Introduction Structural materials and optical components involved in aerospace applications are subjected to collisions with airborne dust and sand. Aerosol particles from volcanic eruptions and other pollution events, typically less than 10 microns in diameter, can remain entrained at stratospheric altitudes for months to years [1]. Larger particles such as dust and ice can grow to hundreds of microns in diameter and persist above strong weather systems [2]. Collisions with clouds or agglomerations of these particles can cause material erosion and damage system components. Degradation of these systems, even to a small degree, can be significant and decrease light transmission, signal resolution, and survivability [3]. The rate of surface material erosion is dependent on several factors including the impact velocity, angle, target material, and projectile characteristics [4]. Often, impacts at these size scales and velocities are studied using post-mortem analysis without in-situ observation of the impact surface [5]. Few studies of particle-surface interaction exist studying particles at tens to hundreds of microns in size with most studies focusing on a few microns to sub-micron particles, or much larger millimeter scale particles.