Shock wave interactions in unsteady high-speed compressible flows

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The unifying theme of the proposed wide-scope research program is high-speed unsteady compressible flows with shock waves, which are much less studied as compared to their steady counterparts. Its long-term objectives are to study important basic and applied problems involving unsteady shock wave phenomena using the state-of-the-art flow solvers and to continue further development of these numerical tools as would be dictated by the problems under study.  The program encompasses three major research directions: (I) Fundamentals of unsteady shock wave reflections from various surfaces and transitions between different types of reflection: a number of issues related to physical mechanisms of these phenomena and interpretations of experimental observations have recently become a hot and contentious topic attracting many researchers; the proposed project is aimed at making crucial and decisive contributions to the debate; (II) Shock wave phenomena in multi-fluid media for two application areas: the implosion of a gas cavity driven by converging shock waves in liquid, which is highly relevant to the prospective nuclear fusion reactors based on the so-called magnetized target fusion;  and the shock wave propagation and cavitation bubble dynamics generated by laser pulse energy depositions in liquids, as encountered in medical applications of shock waves; (III) Starting of air intakes for next-generation hypersonic air-breathing engines (scramjets): novel intake starting techniques such as the ones based on the ideas of thin diaphragm rupture or so called "tractor-rocket" will be further studied with more realistic models aiming at finding the ways of their practical implementation. The main research tool of the program will be the set of high-resolution and efficient flow solvers developed earlier by the principal investigator. It is planned to be further developed for more accurate, efficient, and reliable treatment of the above problems. Analytical models will be developed as well. Furthermore, the principal investigator forged close collaborative ties with, arguably, world leaders in experimental diagnostics for some of the above research directions, who would supply their experimental data and additionally perform experiments suggested and designed by the principal investigator. Thus, all three nodes of scientific investigation will be fully engaged. The major outcomes are expected to be discoveries of both fundamental and practical nature in the chosen research areas delivered to research and engineering community via refereed publications in archival journals; extensive training of graduate/undergraduate students in stimulating and in many aspects unique research environment, and further development of general computer codes for unsteady gasdynamics of shocked flows, which are already in use by many researchers worldwide and would undoubtedly serve as a solid base for future research undertakings and practical applications of their results.