Numerical investigation of interactions of multiple spherical shock waves between themselves and with the underlying surface

Abstract

Within the investigation of various aspects of asteroid and comet danger and, in particular, the explosion of several fragments of meteoroids in the atmosphere above the Earth surface, the toy problem about four point explosions in the case of their special arrangement above the underlying surface is numerically solved. Complex interactions of primary and secondary shock waves between themselves, with the hard surface, and with tangential discontinuities are examined. The structure of flow inside gas regions disturbed by the explosions—the occurrence of eddy structures in them and the influence of reflected shocks waves on them—are investigated. The tendency of the external wave fronts of each explosion to form a unified front and the tendency of their internal hot domains to merge into a joined configuration (where the second process proceeds a little later than the first one) is revealed. This unified front and joined configuration are qualitatively identical to the external internal structure for the solitary explosion. The specially arranged explosions are chosen because the effects of multiple diffraction, interference, and, the main thing, cumulation of spherical waves are manifested more clearly in this caseTwo variants with different altitude of the explosions above the surface are calculated.