Accession Number:

AD0442657

Title:

PROPAGATION OF AN INITIAL DENSITY DISCONTINUITY,

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

CALIFORNIA INST OF TECH PASADENA FIRESTONE FLIGHT SCIENCES LAB

Personal Author(s):

• Bienkowski,George

Report Date:

1964-05-15

Pagination or Media Count:

89.0

Abstract:

The propagation of an initial one-dimensional density discontinuity is studied. The solution for times much shorter than the mean free time between collisions i. e. collisionless, and the solution for times much longer than the mean free time i. e. Euler are functions of the same similarity variable xt. They differ only in the details of the profiles. A method for evaluating the first effect of collisions is developed as an expansion in time with coefficients as functions of the similarity variable. The solutions are obtained in detail for both the Krook collision model and the exact collision integral for inverse fifth-power repulsion. The Krook model is found to agree qualitatively with the exact solution except in the region of eventual shock formation for high initial density ratios. In that region the Krook model tends to overestimate the effect of collisions. The first effect of collisions in general alters the free molecular solution in the proper direction towards the Navier-Stokes result. The first collision solution appears to be valid up to times of the order of a mean free time between collisions on the high pressure side. Analysis of the long time solution through the NavierStokes equations under the assumption of no interaction between the shock and contact surface indicates that the Euler solution is not relevant until times of the order of 1,000 mean free times. Author

Descriptors:

• (*HYPERSONIC FLOW
• GAS FLOW)
• (*GAS FLOW
• ONE DIMENSIONAL FLOW)
• MOLECULAR PROPERTIES
• DENSITY
• PERTURBATION THEORY
• VELOCITY
• PROPAGATION

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE