Late-Time Sensor Characterization for Missile Intercept Debris

The objective of this effort is to improve first principles physics based models for predicting post-intercept debris at late-times. Current techniques terminate the debris scene at a very short time after intercept due to high computational costs of physics based models. Simple ballistic propagation is applied to the debris, which can lead to inaccuracies because of late-time deformation or component interaction. Corvid proposes to utilize the recently implemented implicit solver in its in-house hydro-structural code, Velodyne, to improve late-time debris predictions. The implicit solver will capture the late-time lower rate dynamics after the explicit solver models the high rate shock events. Numerical timesteps of the implicit formulation are three times larger than the explicit, so coupling these solvers will optimize accuracy and runtime efficiency. This will lead to better sensor characterization of post-intercept debris scenes for ballistic missile system design and testing. Approved for Public Release 14-MDA-8047 (14 Nov 14)