Dynamics of adiabatic blast waves in media of finite mass

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/168712· OSTI ID:6700670

Koo, Bonchul; Mckee, C F ^[1]

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1. California Univ., Berkeley (USA)

A basic formulation is developed to describe the mass motion for nonrelativistic, spherically symmetric blast waves. The formulation is quite general in the sense that it applies to blast waves generated by either a strong explosion or a continuous energy injection, and in that it applies to an arbitrary density distribution. A simple method is developed to describe the motion of the shock by modifying the Kompaneets approximation. The formulation is applied to blast waves in specific density distributions, including an exponential medium, a Gaussian medium, and a medium with density distribution which asymptotically approaches a power law. Comparisons with numerical results for spherically symmetric blast waves are made. The one-dimensional formulation is generalized to nonspherically symmetric blast waves by making the assumption that the blast wave expands radially. Comparisons are made with numerical results for an adiabatic supershell in a plane-parallel medium. 32 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6700670
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 354; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ADIABATIC PROCESSES
DETONATION WAVES
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
FLUID MECHANICS
GRAVITATIONAL COLLAPSE
HYDRODYNAMICS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MASS TRANSFER
MECHANICS
SHOCK WAVES
STARS
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR WINDS
SUPERNOVAE
VARIABLE STARS
WAVE PROPAGATION