Look at the fuel dump of the shuttle ET, similar effects can be expected then, just much less controlled. The official term for such events is "fragmentation event", in case you look for research.
As always, for those interested, the Atomic Rockets page is indispensable!
An example:
To envision the appearance of this part, a thought experiment. Or, heck, go ahead and actually perform it. Start with a big piece of sheet metal, covered in a fine layer of flour and glitter. Shine a spotlight on it, in an otherwise-dark room. Then whack the thing with a sledgehammer, hard enough for the recoil to knock the flour and glitter into the air ...
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