HIGH PRESSURE HUGONIOT OF SAPPHIRE

The Hugoniot of sapphire was measured for the first time above 145 GPa, from 80 GPa to 340 GPa in shock‐wave experiments using projectiles accelerated by a two stage gas gun. The transit times of the shock waves were measured either optically with a streak camera or through electrical pin contacts. The Hugoniot in this pressure range fits Us=8.74+0.96 Up in km/s.