and critical shear rate ($\dot{\gamma}_c$) for the onset of shear thinning are presented in Tab. \[tab:table2\].

![Steady-state measurements of viscosity as a function of shear rate for the silicone oils used in this study.[]{data-label="fig:steadystateviscositytest"}](steadystateviscositytest.pdf){width="0.9\columnwidth"}

  ------------ ---------- ------------------
                $\eta_0$   $\dot{\gamma}_c$
                   ()             ()
  0.5 St oil              
  10 St oil               
  300 St oil                      -
  ------------ ---------- ------------------

  : Steady-state measurements of silicone oil viscosity as a function of strain rate.[]{data-label="tab:table2"}

The shear thinning behavior discussed above has been observed previously in PDMS oils. [@Barlow1964; @Ghannam1998; @Carre2006; @Vazquez2017] These oils are known to behave as Newtonian fluids at low shear rates, then begin to show shear thinning behavior at a critical shear rate which increases with decreasing zero-shear-rate viscosity. [@Ghannam1998; @Carre2006; @Vazquez2017] The onset of shear thinning indicates that at these deformation rates, the viscoelastic properties of the PDMS oils, which result from interactions of the polymer molecules, begin to affect the flow. The high strain rates encountered in the experiments presented in this study ($\approx 10^4\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}$), will result in a very dynamic cavitation process with large bubble growth rates that are likely to induce viscoelastic material behavior.

Plate-impact experiments {#PIexperiments}
------------------------

In this study, the planar impact of flyer plates onto liquid 