Existence criteria for reflection configurations in shock-vortex interactions

Abstract

The length scale criteria is widely accepted as an explanation for transition and hence existence of different shock wave reflection configurations in pseudo-steady flows. However, there has not been any attempt to validate this criteria using information obtained from a time-dependent numerical simulation. A high resolution time-dependent numerical simulation in pseudo-steady flow is carried out in the present work. Time-dependent numerical data is used to calculate flow features in a laboratory frame of reference to verify validity of the length scale criteria for existence of different shock wave reflection configurations in pseudo-steady flow. This analysis is then extended to the study of unsteady shock wave reflection configurations in shock-vortex interactions. It is shown that the existence of regular reflection (RR) and Mach reflection (MR) configurations in an unsteady flowfield resulting from shock-vortex interactions can also be explained locally based on limiting conditions similar to that prescribed by the length scale criteria for pseudo-steady flow.