Abstract
Although ice is one of the most familiar solid materials in our environment, the mechanical characteristics of inelastic collision and dynamic fracture of icy bodies have not been fully understood yet. In our earlier investigation to better comprehend the physical properties of ice as a solid or granular material, we have experimentally and numerically monitored the mechanical behavior of an ice sphere impinging upon a plate of ice, and obtained some quantitative information about the scale effect of relative impact velocity on the collisional behavior of icy bodies. Here, using a full-color high-speed digital video camera system introduced in our laboratory, we further perform a series of laboratory experiments observing the collision of a sphere of ice against an icy plate, now with higher impact energy. We record the dynamic fracture and fragmentation process of the ice sphere after the collision, and try to deepen our quantitative understanding of ice dynamics.
