Weak shock wave reflection from concave surfaces

Abstract

The reflection of very weak shock waves from concave curved surfaces has not been well documented in the past, and recent studies have shown the possible existence of a variation in the accepted reflection configuration evolution as a shock wave encounters an increasing gradient on the reflecting surface. The current study set out to investigate this anomaly using high-resolution photography. Shock tube tests were done on various concave circular and parabolic geometries, all with zero initial ramp angle. Although the results have limitations due to the achievable image resolution, the results indicate that for very weak Mach numbers, M S < 1.1, there may be a region in which the reflection configuration resembles that of a regular reflection, unlike for the stronger shock wave case. This region exists after the triple point of the Mach reflection meets the reflecting surface and prior to the formation of the additional shock structures that represent a transitioned regular reflection. The Mach and transitioned regular reflections at 1.03 < M s < 1.05 also exhibit no signs of a visible shear layer, or a clear discontinuity at the triple point, and are thus also apparently different in the weak shock regime than what has been described for stronger shocks, similar to what has been shown for weak shocks reflecting off a plane wedge.