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Old 05-23-2010, 05:48 PM
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AxeMan AxeMan is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Alberta
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I can quote studies on the other side of the fence as well from other scientists:

Quote:

A shock wave can be created when fluid is rapidly displaced by an explosive or projectile. Tissue behaves similarly enough to water that a sonic pressure wave can be created by a bullet impact, generating pressures in excess of 100 atmospheres (1500 PSI).[25]

Duncan McPherson, a former member of the International Wound Ballistics Association and author of the book, Bullet Penetration, claimed that shock waves cannot result from bullet impacts with tissue.[17] In contrast, Brad Sturtevant, a leading researcher in shock wave physics at Caltech for many decades, found that shock waves can result from handgun bullet impacts in tissue.[26] Other sources also indicate that ballistic impacts can create shock waves in tissue.[27][28][29]

Blast and ballistic pressure waves have physical similarities. Prior to wave reflection, they both are characterized by a steep wave front followed by a nearly exponential decay at close distances. They also have similarities in how they cause neural effects in the brain. In tissue, both types of pressure waves have similar magnitudes, duration, and frequency characteristics. Both have been shown to cause damage in the hippocampus.[30][31][32] It has been hypothesized that both reach the brain from the thoracic cavity via major blood vessels.

For example, Ibolja Cernak, a leading researcher in blast wave injury at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, hypothesized, "alterations in brain function following blast exposure are induced by kinetic energy transfer of blast overpressure via great blood vessels in abdomen and thorax to the central nervous system."[33] This hypothesis is supported by observations of neural effects in the brain from localized blast exposure focused on the lungs in experiments in animals.[31]

BTW 209, your quote is from the following link:

http://en.allexperts.com/e/h/hy/hydrostatic_shock.htm

I would not consider allexperts.com to be the definitive experts on this subject. Spend some time and read some of the studies done at various universities on this subject.

Last edited by AxeMan; 05-23-2010 at 06:00 PM.