Viscous Effects in Steady Reflection of Strong Shock Waves

Regular and Mach reflections of shock waves from the symmetry plane in a steady Mach 4 flow of a monatomic gas have been numerically studied with the use of the continuum (Navier - Stokes) and kinetic (direct simulation Monte Carlo) simulations. Results of the computations demonstrate a prominent effect of flow viscosity and heat conduction in the vicinity of the shock intersection, where the flow parameters depart from the values prescribed by the inviscid theoretical solutions. The reasons for these discrepancies are discussed. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]