On the yield strength of single-crystal zinc under uniaxial compression in a plane shock wave

The shock wave pattern in zinc single crystals compressed in the direction normal to the basal plane of the crystal is traced with a high time resolution. In this geometry of the experiment, plastic deformation of the zinc is found to begin at a shock compression pressure above 15 GPa and is not accompanied by splitting of the shock wave into an elastic precursor and a plastic compression wave. (c) 2005 Pleiades Publishing, Inc.