Can Metamaterials Be Used to Reduce Shockwaves in Supersonic Flight?

[JasonGodbout]

Could we use something like carpet cloaking to reduce shockwave in supersonic or mach wave in transonic flight?

Student in mechanical engineering

 

[CWatters]

Just curious... What is "Carpet cloaking" in this context?

 

[DrDu]

Just curious... What is "Carpet cloaking" in this context?

Using mechanical engineering students as a carpet to shield from shock waves :-)
At least that would stop them from designing highly CO2 emitting devices.

More seriously: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamaterial_cloaking
I suppose you can construct similar acoustical devices. However, I would guess that speed of sound has to be higher in them than the speed of the aircraft.

 

[JasonGodbout]

Lets start with that:
http://people.ee.duke.edu/~cummer/reprints/131_Popa11_PRL_AcousticCloak.pdf

$\rho$ = det(A)*(A^-1)^T*A^-1*$\rho$₀
B = det(A)*B₀

where

B: bulk modulus
$\rho$: Density
A: Jacobian matrix

Lets make it simple:
cartesian to polar 2D
Jacobian =
cosθ -r*sinθ
sinθ r*cosθ

How to make a hole in the middle?