Interaction of a Taylor blast wave with isotropic turbulence Available to Purchase

Simulations of the Taylor blast wave through a region of compressible isotropic turbulence are carried out. The turbulent fluctuations are either significantly attenuated or unchanged depending on the initial strength of the shock wave. It is shown through Eulerian simulations and Lagrangian tracking of particles that both these effects are primarily related to the vorticity-dilatation term in the vorticity transport equation. The turbulence length scales associated with this problem are defined and the effect on them quantified. Turbulence also distorts the shock, which can lead to substantial local variations in shock strength and asphericity. Transverse vorticity amplification is compared with linear planar shock-turbulence theory. Aspects that distinguish spherical shock-turbulence interaction from the planar case are stressed.