Some Properties of Compressional Waves in Lennard-Jones and Devonshire Liquids. II. Shock Waves

Abstract

This paper describes some theoretical calculations of the thermodynamic changes which occur when a condensed substance is compressed by a shock wave from an explosion. It is assumed that the material is a simple molecular fluid (or a plastic solid) obeying Lennard-Jones and Devonshire's equation of state.

The calculations have been applied to single and colliding shock waves, to shocks generated in a precompressed material, and to the adiabatic expansion of a material from a shocked state. The results are in good qualitative agreement with the experi- mental data where these exist. In addition they suggest possible ways of extending the scope and usefulness of shock wave experiments.