Research of the sonic-boom problem

Abstract

Wind tunnel tests were conducted to determine the characteristics of sonic booms. A theoretical examination of nonlinear effects in near and far flow fields, as well as sonic boom shock strength, is reported. A study of the Mach lines and bicharacteristics in three dimensional flow was pursued. The direction derivatives if the bicharacteristics were calculated in a general three dimensional flow field. A second order theory for supersonic flow past slender bodies was developed. Formulas relating flow deflections to the Whitham F-function were derived, which permitted determination of the sonic boom strength from wind tunnel measurements fairly close to the body.