Shock-to-detonation transition: A model problem

Abstract

The process by which a trigger ignited shockless weak detonation is transformed into a classical Zeldovich–von Neumann–Doering (ZND) detonation as the trigger wave decelerates is considered in detail. This occurs as the trigger speed passes through the Chapman–Jouguet velocity DCJ. The model that is developed describes the birth and subsequent growth of a shock in the weak detonation reaction zone. This shock ultimately sustains the shock-ignited ZND detonation. The time-dependent solution presented here fills one of the many gaps in the understanding of detonation flows; an understanding based almost entirely on steady wave structures.