The role of pre-existing defects in shock-generated ejecta in copper

The interaction of shock waves with non-planar free surfaces can cause atoms to eject from the surface, leading to the formation of ejecta. These non-planarities in the free surface can occur due to machining of the free surface or can be induced in the shock wave itself due to the presence of heterogeneities in the material. Both cases lead to the formation of ejecta. While the effect of machining on ejecta has been well studied, the latter has not been a topic of significant investigations. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations are used to systematically investigate the effect of size and concentration of He bubbles in Cu with planar free surfaces on ejecta production. It is shown that the presence of defects leads to the formation of non-planarity in the shock wave itself producing ejecta as the front reaches the flat free surface. The cluster size and velocity of ejected particles greatly exceeds that of pure Cu; the radius, density, and nature of the helium-filled voids alter the mass, velocity, and size distribution of the ejected matter.