An analysis of the particle trajectories in spherical blast waves reflected from real and ideal surfaces

Abstract

High speed photogrammetry has been used to measure the particle trajectories in the flows resulting from the interaction of two identical explosively produced spherical shock waves. It is postulated that the interaction simulated the reflection of a spherical shock from an ideal nonenergy-absorbing surface. The "ideal" reflections were compared with reflections from two types of ground surface. From the observed particle trajectories the particle velocities, gas densities, and hydrostatic, dynamic, and total pressures in the complex air flows behind the shock interactions have been computed. These flows are described as two dimensional fields at fixed times and as time histories at fixed locations. The Mach stem shocks at the ground surfaces were weaker than those at corresponding positions near the interaction planes, but the magnitudes of the flow properties in these waves decreased more slowly and, at later times, became greater than those in the waves at the interaction planes. Computed pressure–time histories were compared to measurements made using electronic transducers and good agreement was found.