The dynamic response of materials under high-strain-rate loading represents a fundamental research focus in high-pressure physics and explosion mechanics, with critical applications in national defense, aerospace, energy, and transportation safety. In the late 1950s, pioneering Chinese scientists initiated this field under challenging conditions. Through six decades of dedicated research, seminal advancements have been achieved while cultivating generations of researchers—significantly bolstering China's defense capabilities and public safety infrastructure.

Entering the 21st century, China's research in material dynamic response has flourished into a globally influential force. The field now transitions from traditional macro-phenomenological approaches to integrated macro-meso-micro multiscale methodologies. Diversified experimental and theoretical frameworks, coupled with emerging computational techniques, have profoundly deepened the physical understanding of material behavior under extreme conditions.

This Special Issue commemorates the 30th anniversary of the National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics. We invited leading research teams to survey China's progress in dynamic material response over the past two decades, providing readers a comprehensive overview of international developments.

We pay tribute to foundational visionaries like Academician Jing Fuqian, who strategically advocated for multiscale high-pressure research in the early 2000s. His foresight—continuously validated by global peers — guides our path forward. Building upon this legacy, we embrace the imperative for self-motivated dedication to pioneer new frontiers in dynamic material science.

Jianbo HU

National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics

Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics

September 2024