Hypervelocity

[technoguy]

Hypervelocity usually refers to a very high velocity, typically over 3,000 meters per second (6,700 mph, 11,000 km/h, 10,000 ft/s, or Mach 8.8)[1]. In particular, it refers to velocities sufficiently high that the strength of materials is very small compared to inertial stresses. Thus, even metals behave like fluids under hypervelocity impact. Extreme hypervelocity results in vaporization of the impactor and target. For structural metals, hypervelocity is generally considered to be over 2,500 m/s (5600 mph, 9000 km/h, 8200 ft/s, or Mach 7.3). Meteorite craters are also examples of hypervelocity impact.