VISAR INTERFEROMETRY: SIMPLE IN DESIGN, VERSATILE IN APPLICATION A BRIEF HISTORY OF VISAR DEVELOPMENT

摘要

As evidenced by the several hundred papers and reports written about VISARs and their applications over the past 30 years, this technique of measuring the velocity-time history of specimens set into sudden motion has become a standard in laboratories around the world. This paper presents a brief history of the development of VISARs from large optical bench instruments, administered by a cadre of trained scientists and technicians, to today's compact, pre-aligned system, used by students and researchers alike. The paper describes the development of interferometer systems for shock wave and projectile measurements over a period of more than 35 years. Since manuscript page count limitations dictate only a sketchy treatment of several of the more interesting aspects of VISAR Interferometry, the reader is referred to the list of references for more detail. The author apologizes in advance for omitting several promising VISAR configurations and many deserving references. Development of VISAR interferometry has been the product of many talented researchers, only a few of whom are mentioned in the paper.