Study on a shock wave in liquid metal two-phase mixture with and without magnetic field

Abstract Propagating phenomena of a pressure wave in a liquid metal two-phase flow with and without magnetic field have been investigated theoretically and experimentally by using a vertical shock tube. First, the pressure rise time at the shock front in the mercury-nitrogen medium without magnetic field was measured and compared with that in water-nitrogen mixture. These results show that the pressure rise time is determined by the inertia of the radial motion of bubbles regardless of whether the medium was the liquid metal two-phase medium or the conventional one. Secondly, the effect of magnetic field on the shock wave speed in liquid metal two-phase medium was studied by changing the electrical wall condition. Under the insulating wall condition, the shock speed was not affected by the magnetic field; however, under the conducting wall condition, it was reduced with an increase of the magnetic flux density by the Lorentz force.