Visualization of Shock Wave Phenomena

Book excerpt: This book presents a wealth of images of shock wave phenomena, gathered by the author over the past 40 years. Shadowgrams and interferograms of basic shock-dynamic topics such as reflection, diffraction, refraction, and focusing of shock waves in gases and liquids are sequentially displayed. Though the images themselves are self-explanatory, brief explanations of the experimental conditions are included, so as to facilitate analysis and numerical reproduction of the image data. In addition, the book presents interferometric observations of underwater shock wave/bubble interactions, and highlights the multifaceted applications of shock wave phenomena to medicine and industry. Given its scope, the book offers a unique resource for students and researchers who are interested in shock wave phenomena. However, the content has also been specifically prepared for the benefit of readers who are interested in gas dynamics and medical applications of shock waves, and are looking for reliable experimental images.