Blast wave kinematics: theory, experiments, and applications

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework for analyzing blast wave kinematics, introduces dimensionless coordinates for comparison across explosion types, and validates the model with experimental data from various explosive sources.

Contribution

It presents a new general expression for shock Mach number using hydrodynamics equations and a novel dimensionless coordinate system for comparing different blast waves.

Findings

Validated model with experimental data from small and large explosions.

Unified approach applicable to chemical, nuclear, and laser-induced plasmas.

Accurate yield estimation across a wide range of explosion sizes.

Abstract

Measurements of the time of arrival of shock waves from explosions can serve as powerful markers of the evolution of the shock front for determining crucial parameters driving the blast. Using standard theoretical tools and a simple ansatz for solving the hydrodynamics equations, a general expression for the Mach number of the shock front is derived. Dimensionless coordinates are introduced allowing a straightforward visualization and direct comparison of blast waves produced by a variety of explosions, including chemical, nuclear, and laser-induced plasmas. The results are validated by determining the yield of a wide range of explosions, using data from gram-size charges to thermonuclear tests.