Thermomechanical responses in metal films under mechanical shock: A molecular dynamics study

A series of dynamic shock compressions of metal films are simulated using molecular dynamics method. Characteristics of mechanical shock load are analyzed theoretically. Thermomechanical responses induced by mechanical shock, including pressure, temperature, volumetric strain, and shear strain, are presented graphically and analyzed from viewpoint of thermomechanical coupling. The results show that the temperature rise caused by volumetric strain (elastic) is reversible, while that caused by shear strain is irreversible. Under the same mechanical shock load, several metal films exhibit significant differences in thermomechanical responses and the potential reasons are analyzed from the differences of thermophysical parameters.