A sliding discharge device for producing cylindrical shock waves

Abstract

A simple device for the production and study of cylindrical shock waves, based on the sliding discharge mechanism, is described. Initial gas pressures of up to several hundred torr and line source energies from below 1 J cm^-1 up to above 10 J cm^-1 can be applied. Interferometric measurements carried out on shock waves produced by line source energies of 1.8 J cm^-1 have yielded information on the initial ionisation of the gas ( approximately 5%), on the compression of the shock front ( approximately 3.5 rho ₀) during the early stages and on its velocity as a function of the radius. Good agreement was found with numerical calculations of cylindrical shock waves.