Formation and structure of axisymmetric steady-state detonation mach stems in condensed explosives

Abstract High explosive detonation mach stem phenomena is a relatively new research area which has been studied only since the early 1960's. Although non-steady mach stems in gases have been studied extensively, steady state mach stems have been largely ignored, particularly in high explosives. None the less, steady state detonation mach stems are of great interest due to the observability of continuous highly overdriven detonations. In order to gain a better understanding of axisymmetric steady mach stem formation and structure in high explosives, two dimensional dynamic Lagrangian numerical simulation was done. The results are presented, along with experimental evidence that confirms the validity of the calculations.