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Instabilities of intense shock waves in monatomic gases

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 1997

R. ANNOU
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi 110016, India
B. FERHAT
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi 110016, India

Abstract

A wave-front distortion of strong shock waves in gases for particular Mach numbers M has been repeatedly noted. We propose two approaches according to which there is a threshold Mach number above which the instability occurs; this Mach number is related to the unperturbed gas pressure P1. The first approach is macroscopic, and takes account of radiation; the second is microscopic, and takes account of radiation, electron diffusion to the walls of the shock tube and the non-equilibrium relaxation processes. A mechanism of four reactions is proposed. A nonlinear differential equation system is established. The latter becomes unstable for critical values of the Mach number.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
1997 Cambridge University Press

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