Study of Shockwave interaction with non-metallic solid bodies *

Nuclear explosion in a densely populated area is the worst can happen to any country in the world due to enormous loss of life, property and severe economic damage. Nuclear explosion immediately causes radiological damage and destruction of infrastructure. Hydro-magnetic shock propagation due to blast gives rise to simultaneous signals around the world. A better understanding of the effects of shock wave interactions with complex boundary conditions and deformable/breakable objects can facilitate both prevention and mitigation of nuclear explosion damage. This study focuses on the effects of the shock wave on solid bodies made from different materials and placed in a variety of formations. Experiments are conducted in a horizontally placed shock tube, with a solid body holder on the floor of the test section. Solid bodies are mounted on this holder and attached to the test section. These solid bodies are then impacted with a planar shock wave at several different Mach numbers. Visualization of this shock waveinteraction with solid bodies is accomplished by planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) with a high-powered Nd:YAG ultraviolet laser and an DSLR camera. Visualization of the resulting instabilities is achieved by using a tracer gaseous medium injected into the test section. Representative results of these experiments are reported here along with a review of previous works in this area