Large- and small-amplitude shock wave oscillations over axisymmetric bodies in high-speed flow

Abstract

The phenomena of self-sustained shock wave oscillations over conical bodies with a blunt axisymmetric base subject to uniform high-speed flow are investigated in a hypersonic wind tunnel at Mach number $M = 6$. The flow and shock wave dynamics are dictated by two non-dimensional geometric parameters presented by the three length scales of the body, two of which are associated with the conical forebody and one with the base. Time-resolved schlieren imagery from these experiments reveals the presence of two disparate states of shock wave oscillations in the flow, and allows for the mapping of unsteadiness boundaries in the two-parameter space. Physical mechanisms are proposed to explain the oscillations and the transitions of the shock wave system from steady to oscillatory states. In comparison to the canonical single-parameter problem of shock wave oscillations over spiked-blunt bodies reported in literature, the two-parameter nature of the present problem introduces distinct elements to the flow dynamics.