Features of the interaction of shock waves with regions of a gas-discharge plasma of different structure

Abstract

Abstract The work considers the possibility of influencing supersonic flows and shock-wave configurations by ionizing the propagation medium or flow around by creating a low-current gas discharge of different configurations. The experimental setup is a shock tube with a connected square working chamber with built-in electrodes to create a glow gas discharge of different intensity and uniformity. The process of the passage of a shock wave created in a shock tube through a region of a pre-arranged gas-discharge plasma having a uniform structure or stratified with ionization inhomogeneities of different scale is investigated. The formation of a new shock-wave configuration during the interaction of a shock wave with an ionized medium, as well as a strong distortion of the waveform up to its complete destruction during interaction with ionization-unstable plasma, has been found.