CAVITATION DUE TO SHOCK PULSES REFLECTED FROM SEA SURFACE

Cavitation caused by shock pulses reflected from the sea surface is studied. A breaking pressure of zero is assumed and a model based on spalled layers is proposed to determine the prominent characteristics. These characteristics include the extent of cavitation, and a return pulse with an initial spike followed by an approximately rectangular pulse that, for larger charges fired near the sea surface, is very much longer than the incident pulse. Experiments using explosives to produce exponential shock pulses of various peak pressures and characteristic lengths verify the prominent features of the model. The acoustic effects indicate a breaking tension at least a factor of 10 smaller than that indicated by visible effects. © 1969, Acoustical Society of America. All rights reserved.