Rounding Phenomena Present in the Propagation of Low Amplitude Shock Waves in a Tube

Abstract

The objective of this project was to attempt to determine causes for the two types of rounding that had been observed. Two particular effects seemed pertinent to our experimental situation. Whenever sound waves propagate through a tube, there will be absorption and dispersion of the waves as a result of viscosity and heat transfer effects. In addition, it was expected that the room air within the tube would complicate the propagation of a weak shock. Another complicating factor was that the acoustic speed is amplitude dependent and would tend to cancel the rounding.