Explosively Induced Nonuniform Oblique Shocks

At the high pressures induced by explosive attack, metals are assumed to behave like nonviscous, non‐heat‐conducting fluids. Within these assumptions, intensity and duration of explosively induced nonuniform oblique shocks are calculated by the method of characteristics for aluminum and copper in those cases involving supersonic flow both in the metal and in the explosive gas. Flow in both metal and explosive product gas is assumed to be isentropic even in the presence of shock waves. When a three‐parameter equation of state is used for the gas, an arbitrary assumption must be made concerning the magnitude of one of these parameters, since pressure, density, and sound speed are known only for the Chapman‐Jouguet point for the explosive gas. Reasonableness of this assumption is tested by comparing the results of the calculation with experiment. Results for oblique shocks confirm the results obtained previously for plane shocks in regard to the equation of state of the gas.