Laboratory observation of secondary shock formation ahead of a strongly radiative blast wave
We have previously reported the experimental discovery of a second shock forming ahead of a radiative shock propagating in Xe. The initial shock is spherical, radiative, with a high Mach number, and it sends a supersonic radiative heat far ahead of itself. The heat wave rapidly slows to a transonic regime and when its Mach number drops to two with respect to the downstream plasma, the heat wave drives a second shock ahead of itself to satisfy mass and momentum conservation in the heat wave reference frame. We now show experimental data from a range of mixtures of Xe and N{sub 2}, gradually changing the properties of the initial shock and the environment into which the shock moves and radiates (the radiative conductivity and the heat capacity). We have successfully observed second shock formation over the entire range from 100% Xe mass fraction to 100% N{sub 2}. The formation radius of the second shock as a function of Xe mass fraction is consistent with an analytical estimate.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 895440
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-PROC-221171; TRN: US200711%%274
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Presented at: HEDLA 2006, Houston, TX, United States, Mar 11 - Mar 14, 2006
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Laboratory observation of secondary shock formation ahead of a strongly radiative blast wave
Laboratory observation of secondary shock formation ahead of a strongly radiative blast wave