Gaseous Detonations. XI. Double Waves

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Abstract
Photographic studies of detonations of benzene‐oxygen mixtures with the slit and rotating drum camera arrangement have shown under well defined conditions the occurrence of a sharp luminous front receding at a constant rate (ca 73m/sec) from the detonation wave front. The same phenomenon has been observed in several other hydrocarbon‐oxygen mixtures but not in mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen. Measurements of gas densities by the method of x‐ray absorption gave confirmatory evidence that the secondary fronts are shock waves in the domain of the rarefaction wave. A qualitative theory of the secondary wave is developed by analogy with the steady supersonic gas flow through convergent‐divergent nozzles. It is concluded that the secondary wave is due to entropy increase in the rarefaction wave, caused by a spontaneous reaction. Detonation velocity measurements of benzene‐oxygen mixtures and thermodynamic velocity calculations show indeed that thermodynamic equilibrium is not attained in the C‐J state of the detonation wave, but the nature of the lagging chemical reaction cannot be established.

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