Shock waves in gases

Abstract

The discussion in the first part of this report is restricted to the characteristics of several geometric forms of shock wave that occur in a perfect gas. The behaviour of shock waves undergoing reflection and diffraction is discussed with particular reference to the Mach-type reflection. The structure of the normal shock wave, from the standpoint of both continuum and kinetic theories, is considered, and the section concludes with an account of progress in the field of shock-wave and boundary-layer interaction. The second half of this report considers the application of shock-wave techniques to problems which interest physicists and physical chemists. The generation of strong shock waves in pressure-driven and electromagnetic shock tubes is discussed and an account is given of the effect of these waves upon atomic and polyatomic gases with particular reference to ionization, dissociation and internal energy relaxation. The final sections deal with the more complex behaviour of shock waves travelling through ionized gases of low and high number density.