Analysis of the response of piezopolymer pressure gauges to a plane shock wave

We consider a phenomenological model for piezopolymer pressure gauges designed for registration of plane shock-wave pulses. We analyze the response of the gauges taking into account the physical phenomena observed in polarized polymer films upon action of high-intensity shock waves, the thermodynamic state of the material comprising the sensitive element, and the measurement circuit parameters. We compare the numerical calculations with experimental data for gauges made from polyvinylidene fluoride in the dynamic pressure range up to 16 GPa. We show that at such pressures, the electrical response is mainly determined by the change in the residual polarization of the piezofilm as a result of its compression.