On the long-range detection and study of undamped directed temperature waves generated during the interaction between a cavitating water jet and targets

Abstract

The features of the propagation of undamped thermal (temperature) waves in air are investigated. The presence of these waves is a consequence of solution of the heat equation taking into account the relaxation of local thermal perturbation. It is shown that such waves can exist only in media with a finite (nonzero) time of local thermal relaxation, and their frequencies are determined by this time. The time of relaxation in air depends on the gas composition, its temperature and increases with a decrease in pressure. Under normal conditions, the minimum frequency of undamped waves in air corresponds to 70–80 MHz. One of the methods for exciting these waves is associated with pulsed heating of the surface of a medium bordering air. Pulsed heating on account of the application of shock waves generated during water jet cavitation is used. It is shown for the first time that these waves with frequencies in the range of 70–500 MHz can propagate in air without damping over a distance of up to 2 m.