What happens if two moving shock waves collide?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the behavior of two normal shock waves moving towards each other at different speeds and what occurs upon their collision. Participants explore theoretical implications, reference frames, and potential outcomes of the interaction between the shock waves.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether the shock waves would flow past each other or reflect back, seeking to understand the changes in velocity after their interaction.
  • Another participant suggests that the air movement might not significantly affect the outcome, depending on the strength of the shock waves.
  • A third participant proposes that changing the reference frame to make the air velocity zero could simplify the analysis, but expresses uncertainty about the actual behavior of the shock waves upon collision.
  • A later post introduces a related scenario involving supersonic warplanes and inquires about photographic evidence, hinting at real-world applications of the discussed concepts.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on what specifically happens when the shock waves collide, and multiple competing views regarding the influence of air movement and reference frames remain present.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the exact mechanics of shock wave interaction, including the effects of different speeds and the role of air movement in determining outcomes.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying fluid dynamics, shock wave theory, or related applications in aerospace engineering.

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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