On self-similar blast waves headed by the Chapman–Jouguet detonation

Abstract

The paper explores the whole class of self-similar solutions for blast waves bounded by Chapman-Jouguet detonations that propagate into a uniform, quiescent, zero counter-pressure atmosphere of a perfect gas with constant specific heats. Since such conditions can be approached quite closely by some actual chemical systems at N.T.P., this raises the interesting possibility of the existence of Chapman-Jouguet detonations of variable velocity. The principal virtue of the results presented here is, however, more of theoretical significance. They represent the limiting case for all the self-similar blast waves headed by gasdynamic discontinuities associated with a deposition of finite amounts of energy, and they exhibit some unique features owing to the singular nature of the Chapman-Jouguet condition.