On Shock-Wave Phenomena: Waterlike Substances

Abstract

The properties of shock waves in waterlike substances are investigated in detail. A waterlike substance is defined as one for which the intrinsic energy is separable into a sum of two terms, one of which is a function of density only and the second a function of specific entropy. It is known that many substances, including water, behave in this fashion within a large range of pressure variation. The paper consists of six sections. Section I contains some introductory material. Section II consists of a derivation of the basic equations that govern the propagation of plane shock waves in a waterlike substance. Section III is an analysis of one-dimensional interaction of shock waves, rarefaction waves, and contact discontinuities in a medium of this type. It is shown that a number of intrinsic differences exist between the behavior of shock waves in waterlike substances and their behavior in ideal gases. In Section IV, one-dimensional interaction of shock waves in arbitrary fluids is discussed. Section V presents the theory of regular reflection of shock waves in waterlike substances; while Section VI presents the theory of triple-shock intersections. In both instances essential differences between the behavior of shock waves in waterlike substances and ideal gases are noted. The text is supplemented by numerous tables and charts.