On supplementing shock tube drivers by magnetohydrodynamic interactions
A magnetohydrodynamic interaction is applied to the driver gas behind a shock propagating along a constant area tube in order to accelerate the shock. It is found that in the expansion fan, which usually matches the driver gas conditions to the shock heated gas conditions, the expanded part is more favourable to shock acceleration by MHD means than the unexpanded part by reason both of the maximum acceleration which may be achieved and of the current required to produce a given acceleration. The variation of current and magnetic field is determined, which, applied to the expansion fan as it passes through the interaction region, maintains the shock speed constant after it has been accelerated. To demonstrate the feasibility of this method of acceleration the results of some experiments are presented in which Mach speeds of shocks have been increased from Ml7 to M22 .
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