Energy density balance during shock wave implosion in water

Abstract

Analytical modeling of the evolution of cylindrical and spherical shock waves (shocks) during an implosion in water is presented for an intermediate range of convergence radii. This range of radii was observed in experiments when the exploding wire expansion dynamics does not influence on shock propagation, but not yet described by well-known self-similar solutions. The model is based on an analysis of the change in pressure and kinetic energy density as well as on the corresponding fluxes of internal and kinetic energy densities behind the shock front. It shows that the spatial evolution of the shock velocity strongly depends on the initial compression, the adiabatic index of water, and the geometry of convergence. The model also explains the transition to a rapid like a self-similar increase in the shock velocity at only a certain radius of the shock that is observed in experiments. The dependence of the threshold radius, where the shock implosion follows the power law (quasi self-similarity), on the initial compression is determined. It is stated that in the entire range of the shock radii, the internal and kinetic energy density fluxes are equal, which agrees with known experimental data.