On the structure of detonation waves in gases

Abstract

The structure of two-dimensional detonation waves in equimolar acetylene-oxygen mixtures was studied by a variety of optical techniques yielding instantaneous photographs of the fronts as well as records of the traces of triple wave intersections—the elementary components of the waves. The changes in the shock Mach number and in the concomitant induction time associated with a triple point collision were computed as functions of the incident angle between the triple points and the propagation velocity before collision. The results elucidate the significance of the relationship between this angle and the irregularities in the wave structure.