Shock waves in water

The present paper gives a comprehensive examination of equations and charts for shock waves in water. The Tait equation of state is used in the analysis to describe the compressibility of water. The results for an oblique shock wave are presented in the hodograph plane where all possible velocity vectors downstream of the shock wave are seen to lay on a single curve (i.e., shock polar). The equation of the shock polar and the corresponding charts up to upstream Mach number of 3 are given, as well as a more convenient way of adapting the shock polar. The oblique shock-wave detachment condition and the sonic flow condition downstream of a shock are also presented.