What happens if two moving shock waves collide?

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SUMMARY

The collision of two normal shock waves moving towards each other at different speeds results in complex interactions that depend on their velocities and the surrounding air movement. When these shock waves collide, they do not simply pass through each other; instead, they can reflect back or change in velocity based on their respective strengths. The air movement between the shock waves influences the reference frame, altering the perceived velocities of the shocks. The discussion highlights the need for further investigation into the behavior of shock waves, particularly in scenarios involving supersonic aircraft.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of normal shock wave dynamics
  • Familiarity with supersonic flight principles
  • Knowledge of reference frame transformations in fluid dynamics
  • Basic concepts of shock wave interactions and reflections
NEXT STEPS
  • Research "Normal Shock Wave Theory" for foundational knowledge
  • Explore "Shock Wave Reflection and Transmission" to understand wave interactions
  • Study "Supersonic Flight Mechanics" to analyze aircraft behavior during shock wave encounters
  • Investigate "Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulations" for practical applications in shock wave analysis
USEFUL FOR

Aerospace engineers, physicists, and students studying fluid dynamics or aerodynamics will benefit from this discussion, particularly those interested in shock wave behavior and supersonic flight phenomena.

DigedyDan
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Say there were to be two normal shock waves that were moving towards each other at different speeds. What would happen when they collide with each other? Would the shock waves flow past each other or would they be reflected back from the direction they came from? Also how would you be able to determine how the shock waves would change in velocity after passing through each other, reflecting, or whatever it is that they do?

I'm not sure if I'm describing it well enough, so I'll try to draw it out.
shock @ speed X air moving at speed Y shock @ speed Z
|->x ( -->y ) z<-|

which then becomes

a<-| ( -->b ) |->c
 
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Logically speaking, it doesn't seem that the air movement would make much difference (depending on the strength of the waves)
 
So the velocity of the air in the middle would only change the reference frame? As in if you were to make Y=0m/s, then the two shocks would be X-Y and Z+Y respectively?

EDIT: This seemed to have worked, and it matched with given calculations for before the shocks collide with each other. However, I still do not know what happens when the shocks do collide.
 
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What happens when supersonic warplanes fly past each other on opposite courses? Photographic evidence probably exists somewhere.

Are there any NASA experts reading this thread?
 

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