Stability of Steady-State Equilibrium Detonations

Abstract

The hydrodynamic stability of one-dimensional, steady, equilibrium detonation waves is investigated through solution of the initial-value problem for the detonation equations, linearized in perturbations from the steady-state solution. A criterion for stability is then found depending on the sign of the real parts of the zeros of a certain function of the steady flow. Determination of stability for a specific case through this criterion would involve extensive, but entirely feasible, numerical computations. The hydrodynamic stability of states of chemical equilibrium is also proved, this problem being pertinent to equilibrium detonations from both physical and mathematical considerations.