https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlvyZ1r1DCMThis video shows some of the different materials they use for these things and a few others, the demonstration is a good representation of the two titanium end caps pressing into the carbon fiber tube but don't show the forces applied to the sides of the tube so not a complete picture but will give you some idea of what it would have experienced and why I think the two end caps may have slammed together...
It is not a good representation. Nobody builds an engine with alum rods the same physical dimension of a steel rod. Nobody compares CF vs steel in the same physical dimension when strength is an objective. , meaning CF has maybe 5 times the strength of Steel by weight, the CF tube should have been a much larger dimension and or at least used equal weight test samples.
BTW, do we know for certain what material the end caps, (not the fastening rings) were made of?
edit: I just watched a utube video that clearly shows the two pressure hull dome end caps, It states they fabricated from Ti.
One odd observation of the one recovered view port end cap is the viewing window is missing as its lifted off the recovery ship. Seems like its removal to aid recovery would rather be burdensome and unlikely IMO
So where when did it separate? I can't understand it separating in an implosion unless maybe it instigated the implosion, I suspect the window was fastened to mainly resist pressure from the outside, and pressure on the inside was never expected.