Ideal gas flow behind a finite-amplitude shock wave

Abstract

The equations of one-dimensional (with a plane of symmetry) adiabatic motion of an ideal gas are transformed to a form convenient for studying flows between a moving piston and a shock wave of variable intensity. The solution is found for the equations of a motion containing a shock wave which propagates through a quiescent gas with variable initial density and constant pressure. This solution contains four arbitrary constants and, in a particular case, gives an example of adiabatic shockless compression by a piston of a gas initially at rest.