Aeroptical Effects Caused by Supersonic Airflow around an Ogival Body

Abstract

An optical model of a shock wave generated due to supersonic airflow around a body of an ogival form is developed. Mean values of airflow parameters were calculated from the Navier–Stokes equations using the CFD Fluent 6.0 software package accounting for the gas compressibility. It is shown that the maximum values of the structure parameters are several orders of magnitude larger than the values typical for an unperturbed shock wave in the atmosphere. Results of numerical simulation of propagation of an optical beam which crosses the shock wave at the beginning of a path and then propagates through a homogeneous medium are presented. It is shown that an increase in the aircraft speed increases the transverse dimensions of the beam due to diffraction. The angular deviation of the beam from rectilinear propagation under the impact of the shock wave depends only on the altitude above the Earth’s surface where the shock wave is generated. The impact of the shock wave on the crossing beam weakens as the altitude increases.