Citation

Cook AW, Bauer JD, Spriggs GD. Proc. Math. Phys. Eng. Sci. 2021; 477(2250): e20210154.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, The Royal Society)

DOI

10.1098/rspa.2021.0154

PMID

35153567

PMCID

PMC8299555

Abstract

We demonstrate that the geometric similarity of Taylor's blast wave persists beyond reflection from an ideal surface. Upon impacting the surface, the spherical symmetry of the blast wave is lost but its cylindrical symmetry endures. As the flow acquires dependence on a second spatial dimension, an analytic solution of the Euler equations becomes elusive. However, the preservation of axisymmetry, geometric similarity and planar symmetry in the presence of a mirror-like surface causes all flow solutions to collapse when scaled by the height of burst (HOB) and the shock arrival time at the surface. The scaled blast volume for any yield, HOB and ambient air density follows a single universal trajectory for all scaled time, both before and after reflection.

Language: en

Keywords

airdrops; blast waves; nuclear detonations; numerical simulations; surface detonations; Taylor’s Equation