SHOCK WAVES GENERATED BY CYLINDRICAL EXPLOSIONS SIMULATING AN ENERGY RELEASE DURING THE FLIGHT OF METEOROIDS IN THE ATMOSPHERE

Abstract

Numerical modeling is used to examine cylindrical explosions in the air, simulating the energy release in the atmosphere during the passage of meteoroids with radii of 1–10 meters. It is shown that the shock wave generated by such explosions becomes spherical at large distances, but its amplitude depends on the angle between its propagation direction and the meteoroid’s trajectory. The wave propagating perpendicular to the trajectory has the maximum amplitude. The dependence on the angle increases with decreasing meteoroid radius. Regions of space are determined in which the arrival of a weak cylindrical wave is first observed, followed by a stronger spherical wave, and regions of space in which only the arrival of a spherical wave is observed.