Selected Presentations from the Twenty-First International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems

This Special Issue is based on selected research papers that were presented at the Twenty-first International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems, held July 22–28, 2007, in Poitiers, France. The colloquium topics fall into two general categories: the dynamics of explosions, which explores the interrelationship between energy deposition in compressible media and the flow field as it occurs typically in detonations, and the dynamics of reactive systems, which explores the steady and nonsteady coupling between flow systems and exothermic reactions occurring within them, such as occurs typically in combustion. The results of research from around the world performed on these topics are presented here, with a mixture of analytical, computational, and experimental studies. The selected papers in this issue include six papers describing flame dynamics, three papers each on alternative fuel combustion, miniature combustion systems, and explosions and detonations. There are two papers each discussing soot formation and ignition processes, and a paper describing magnetic influences on flames. From this range of topics, it is evident that the papers cover a broad spectrum of the dynamics of explosions and reactive systems. Several hundred researchers from many nations attended the Colloquium. More than 190 podium papers plus another 100 poster papers were presented on a range of topics including explosions, detonations, ignition, turbulent flames, laminar flames, and heterogeneous combustion. One plenary session was dedicated to the memory of Professor Numa Manson, a co-founder of ICDERS with A.K. Oppenheim (UC Berkeley) and R. Soloukhin (Novosibirsk). Numa Manson started working in the field of detonation and reactive systems in the early 40’s and then devoted a great part of his life to these scientific activities. He was also the founder of the Laboratoire d’Energétique et de Détonique that eventually became the LCD. Today, Professor Manson’s contribution is acknowledged by the Numa Manson Medal, one of the awards of the ICDERS given to a distinguished researcher of the international community working in the field of Combustion, Detonations, and Reactive Systems. Prior to 1993, selected presentations from this colloquium were published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in the series on Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics. For the 1993 through 2007 Colloquia, the authors were given the opportunity to submit their presented papers for review for publication in either Combustion Science and Technology or Shock Waves: An International Journal on Shock Waves, Detonations, and Explosions. Beginning in