Detection of Unexploded Ordnances: Magnetostriction due to Shock Demagnetization

Detection of unexploded ordnances (UXO), or munitions, has many humanitarian benefits. In order to uncover and remove them from an area, their magnetic properties are exploited using a technique to detect them called magnetometry. In order to separate the hazardous UXO from other harmless debris, the proposed project with Sky Research will deal with modeling their magnetic signature and how it changes from the time they are fired, to the time when they penetrate the ground with an impact force. Based on previous theories about how magnetic domains that make up the material move and shift under applied stress on a microscopic scale, we will attempt to extend these ideas to the particular case of UXO to obtain a more accurate description of their overall magnetic signature. This in turn can be used in order to improve current detection techniques and facilitate the removal of UXO.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Nilima Nigam

Student:

Olga Trichtchenko

Partner:

Sky Research

Discipline:

Mathematics

Sector:

Aerospace and defense

University:

Simon Fraser University