Measurement of refractive index of water under high dynamic pressures

The refractive index of water under conditions of dynamic loading up to a pressure of about 10 kbar has been measured by a geometrical refraction method with the high-speed Kerr-Cell camera system. Geometry of light transmission through the spherical front of shocked water has been worked out by applying Snell's law and the simple assumption of the zero-density gradient in the disturbed water and an attempt has been made to calculate the shock pressure underwater therefrom. The results obtained here are found comparable within 0.4% with those determined by Zeldovich employing the method of reflectivity.