Shock-wave/expansion-wave interactions and the transition between regular and Mach reflection

This paper presents numerical simulations for the interaction of an expansion wave with an incident shock wave of the opposite family, the specific aim being to study the resultant reflection of the now-perturbed shock wave from a solid surface. This problem is considered in the context of an incident flow entering a parallel duct, a situation that commonly arises in a range of flow-turning problems including supersonic intake flows. Once the incident shock conditions are such that Mach reflection must occur, it is shown that stabilization of a simple Mach reflection is only possible for a narrow range of Mach numbers and that this depends sensitively on the relative streamwise positioning of the origins of the shock wave and the expansion wave.