409 



supposed that this variation is due to cavitation; however, quantitative 

 estimates of the cavitation effect based upon the Taylor cavitation time 

 show no such dependence on the plate thickness. The larger values of 

 y are of reasonable magnitude and thus the comparison with experiment 

 may be considered a partial verification of the treatment of strain 

 used here since the alternative treatment based upon nonnal motion leads 

 to unreasonably small values of ^ (about one-taith as large). From the 

 standpoint of predicting rupture, the theory as it stands cannot be 

 considered very satisfactory. 



The theory is by no means limited to contact explosions, 

 nor is it limited to infinite plates. The essential restriction on its 

 application is that the charge distance and the distance from the point 

 of attack to the nearest edge be so related that a transverse plastic 

 wave starting from the nearest edge does not reach the point of attack 

 duri:ig the rupture process. This condition may be stated in the form 



le ^(3A) = 0,927, (63) 



where r is the distance to the nearest edge. 



90 



