Characteristics of a Propagating Shock Wave in Gas Discharges

Acoustic shock waves are launched in both neutral and ionized gases and their properties are measured with pressure sensors, laser beams, and a high-speed camera. The pressure sensors yield information on the total gas pressure, the deflection of the laser beams gives an indication of the gas density, and the high-speed camera captures the dynamics of the propagating shock wave. Shock wave propagation velocities ($\sim$ Mach 2) are determined from all three methods and compared well with one another. The emission characteristic and structure of the shock-front are obtained from the laser beam deflection signals and the camera images.