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1 answer
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Does anyone know of published data on Mach interactions with various asymmetrical toroids?

I was looking for any lab conducted tests, or computer models of Mach reflections off of different toroids. How would shock waves propagate through asymmetrical 180° ring toroids, what kind of ...
0 votes
2 answers
664 views

In nuclear weapons, why does levitating a pit improve compression?

Levitated pits were introduced after after solid pits. In this design the tamper is separated from the fissile with an airgap. From the Nuclear Weapon Archive: The original Fat Man pit design used a ...
Jane Bass's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
256 views

How much do tunnels extend blast waves from explosives?

As was discussed in the comments, I've crossposted this question to here, and am cross-linking them: https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/234669/how-much-do-tunnels-extend-blast-waves-...
user343708's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
82 views

With blast injuries, how much of the damage is from rapid decompression? [closed]

If a person or creature suffers a high explosive or low explosive blast, how much of their injuries will be due to the sudden decompression immediately after the shockwave? Sudden decompression can ...
user343708's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
261 views

The pressure fluctuations in an incompressible flow

I am reading the article by Zu and He (Phase-field-based lattice Boltzmann model for incompressible binary fluid systems with density and viscosity contrasts, Physical review E, 2013). There the ...
nameDisplay's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
170 views

Is it possible to create a shockwave gun (Like in Minority Report) [closed]

I love the gun in Minority Report. It seems to send a shockwave that can throw people and objects back. The gun has a rotating mechanism that triggers the action and loads a charge. Here's it in ...
Wouter Chompff's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
104 views

What Are The Physics and Air Pressure Effects of Extremely Large Bells

How would one go about figuring out the physical properties of when a bell is hit. Can I parameterize the diameter of the bell, its height, and the kinetic force of the knock to get the volume in ...
Ben G's user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
583 views

Minimum speed for a mantis shrimp punch to create cavitation?

When a mantis shrimp punches it creates cavitation, because of the speed it creates sudden changes in the water. I want to know how slow can a mantis shrimp punch and still make cavitation? Notes: ...
user avatar
48 votes
2 answers
10k views

How do we get supersonic bullets?

I recently answered a question on the WorldBuilding forum about grenades and bullets. One of the things that came up was that I argued smokeless powder in a rifle round could detonate, but was ...
Cort Ammon's user avatar
  • 51.7k
3 votes
2 answers
526 views

Physical reasoning behind hearing a single shock

When an object is flying in the air at a mach number ($M$) greater than 1, a shock wave is continuously produced and the mach cone makes a particular angle, $\theta_M$, with the ground (or normal). An ...
Mathews24's user avatar
  • 669
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Shock waves at $M = 1$ and $M > 1$

When a wave moves faster than the local speed of sound ($c_s$) in a fluid, there is a shock wave since the fluid is unable to respond to the moving wave. Even if velocity ($v$) is constant, if ...
Mathews24's user avatar
  • 669
4 votes
2 answers
310 views

Sonic Boom in Aircraft and Spacecraft

I would like to know why aircraft, and spacecraft produce a double sonic boom on breaking the sound barrier. A while ago, I thought I got it, as there’s a start and finish point to every vehicle. ...
Anonymous's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Can a sonic boom put out a fire?

Since a sonic boom is just a collection of pressure waves combined into one massive pressure wave, would the low pressure zone behind it be enough to put out a large fire?
TECTEC3 Studios's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the loudest possible sound?

For a long time, Wikipedia has said that the loudest possible sound is 191 dB SPL, as this corresponds to 1 atmosphere of pressure peak-to-peak, and anything above this would be clipped at vacuum on ...
endolith's user avatar
  • 5,704
0 votes
1 answer
90 views

Pressure Change in Supersonic Wind Tunnel [closed]

As far as I know, the total pressure changes across a shock wave. How is this possible if you are in the atmosphere and atmospheric pressure isn't changing? Is energy lost due to entropy in ...
Greg Castaldi's user avatar