Quantitative analysis of damage clustering and void linking for spallation modeling in tantalum

In a companion paper in this volume by Zurek et al, micrographs of incipient spallation damage in commercial purity tantalum were numerically analyzed using image analysis techniques. Void sizes, locations, and overall porosity were measured and graphically presented. In this paper, we extend this analysis to include void clusters and examine the correlation between cluster size and the ranges of local instabilities between voids visible in the micrographs. We discuss the implications for spallation modeling. (orig.)