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Shock physics focuses on the understanding of what happens to matter under extreme conditions. These conditions can occur naturally, such as during planetary impacts within the solar system, or may exist within the core of planets or other astrophysical phenomena. They may also arise as a result of man-made processes related to aeronautics, national security applications and energy futures.

In collaboration with partners from across the UK and overseas, the ISP undertakes research over multiple scales, from seconds to picoseconds and from bulk to atomistic level. Examples include investigations into the origin of dynamic material strength, studies of force protection, the behaviour of biological materials under intense loading, and the development of improved energetic materials. This work is enabled by the broad range of state-of-the-art experimental platforms, diagnostics and modelling capabilities at Imperial. The Institute also aims to educate the next generation of scientists and engineers in the science of shock waves, ultrafast material phenomena and matter at extreme conditions.

Multi-scale physics of extreme conditions
Multi-scale physics of extreme conditions

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