Application for BAG beam time at ESRF

We propose to establish a new community-driven mode of access dedicated to the study of materials under rapid and extreme loading. This mode will utilise the block allocation group (BAG) model, pooling together shared equipment, personnel and expertise to underpin and enhance the science at the intersection of X-rays and dynamically-compressed matter. This Shock-BAG would build-upon the dedicated gas-gun, Hopkinson bar platforms, and multi-MHz X-ray imaging scheme arising from our recent LTP, offering these proven tools and expertise to grow the high-rate and shock user community at ESRF. In addition, the Shock-BAG would serve as a home for emergent techniques, such as pulsed power-, laser- and explosive-drive, which share similar challenges and diagnostic needs. The combination of these research tools will enable us to probe the properties of matter at extreme conditions, from damage in composites panels, to the physics of earthquakes.