Shock Wave Propagation in Gases and Low Temperature Plasma Under Subatmospheric Pressure

Abstract

Results of investigation of the shock wave dynamics under subatmospheric pressure in neutral gases and weakly ionized low temperature plasma are presented. The characteristics of spherical and plane configuration shock wave excitation and propagation in gases in the pressure region 1 Torr < p <100 Torr are studied. The same is done for the plane configuration shock wave in weakly ionized plasma in the pressure region 1 Torr < p <10 Torr. It is shown that when p = 3 Torr it is still possible to fix successfully the shock wave appearance and propagation in various neutral gases. The pressure dependence of the shock wave propagation velocity and amplitude is determined experimentally. It is shown that when the pressure decreases the shock wave amplitude decrease and the increase of the Mach number take place. In the case of plane shock wave Mach number reaches the value M = 5.2 under the pressure p = 3 Torr. As for shock wave propagation in low temperature plasma, our experiments showed a significant decrease of wave amplitude and simultaneous increase of its velocities up to 35 wave velocity is related to the heating of neutral gases in plasma.