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Thesis. 1976. B.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Engineering. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Joseph B. Hamilton. / B.S.

Linear, small deflection plate theory is used to study the stress at the contact axis and the deflection of an infinite plate caused by the impact of an axisymmetric cometary meteoroid. The analysis assumes that momentum exchange is the primary mechanism, that the time of exchange is instantaneous, and that the momentum of the meteoroid is negligible after impact. The stress at the origin is reduced to a single definite integral and the deflection to the Hankel inversion integral, both requiring definition of the particular projectile before further evaluation. A particular cometary meteoroid is mathematically represented in the analysis by its projected momentum per unit area onto the plate. The three specific shapes studies are the usual projectile shapes used in hypervelocity laboratories - cylinder, cone, and sphere - even though the analysis is not intended for the high-strength, high-density laboratory projectiles. Projectile comparisons based on equal mass, diameter, and total momentum indicate that frangible, low-strength cone projectiles cause significantly higher stresses and larger displacements of the plate at short times after impact than similar sphere and cylinder projectiles. / Master of Science