An Analytic Analysis of Aluminum Gap Experiments: Extending Curved Shock Theory to Linear D - u Materials*

A detonation wave propogating through a rate stick is known to have visible curvature,and thus a shock wave propogated into an Aluminum gap from a detonation also has visible curvature. As the shock passes from the Aluminum gap back into the explosive, a regularly reflected shock forms driven by the reflection points moving radially outward as the incident wave collides with the interface. In order to relate the curvatures of the incident and reflected shock waves, we extend Sannu Molder's theory of curved shocks (CST) to materials with linear shock speed - particle speed relationships, which include many common metals such as Aluminium. Our presentation of the curved shock equations for this class of materials introduces the possibility of new benchmark solutions for experiments of this kind.