Some Problems Concerning Shock Wave Propagation In Gasdynamic Regimes

Abstract

Gas dynamics is a component part of hydrodynamics, the science of fluids, liquids and gases. A particular feature of gasdynamics is the need to keep account of the compressibility of the medium. Liquid may be considered incompressible under normal circumstances, whereas gases change their volume considerably even under slight variation of pressure. newlineShock waves arise in a wide range of physical phenomena such as nuclear explosions, supernovae, stellar winds, traffic flows and many others. In gasdynamics, shock waves emerge newlineas pivotal features, representing sudden and intense changes in gas properties. The theory of shock waves has a rich history beginning with the fundamental contributions by Riemann in the midst of the 19th century. At first this problem attracted attention as purely a theoretical one, the solution of which describes the physical mechanism of shock compression, as a truly remarkable phenomenon in gas dynamics and also in understanding the various processes which take place in gases at high temperatures, as for example, vibrational excitation in molecules, molecular dissociation, chemical reactions, ionization, and radiation. Obviously, the theoretical considerations of shock front structure permit one to deduce from the experimental data, a good deal of valuable information about the rates of these processes. newline