Unsteady shock generated vorticity

Abstract. A two-dimensional theory is developed for the vorticity just downstream of a curved, unsteady shock wave. By utilizing Crocco's equation, an explicit formula is obtained for the vorticity that does not require a perfect gas and that holds for arbitrary conditions upstream of the shock wave. The analysis is applied to the flow just downstream of the reflected shock that occurs in a single-Mach reflection pattern. Flow conditions are based on an interferometric photograph of Ben-Dor and Glass (1978). In this case, the reflected shock is weak everywhere from its upstream intersection with the wall to the triple point. The vorticity has a singularity and a change of sign near the triple point that indicates the presence of a weak shear layer downstream of this location.