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1990
Book Article
Titel
The discovery of the Mach reflection effect and its demonstration in an auditorium
Alternative
Die Entdeckung des Mach' Reflexionseffekts und seine Demonstration in einem Auditorium
Abstract
The paper examines the historical background leading to the discovery of the Mach reflection effect and applies original documents from Mach's residue which are kept in the archives of the Ernst-Mach-Institut in Freiburg. Mach's historic mechanical shock wave reflection and interaction experiments with soot covered plates, performed in 1875, can be demonstrated directly in an auditorium by a modified experimental setup incorporating an overhead projector. The soot technique, basically a very simple streak recording technique, provides the trajectories of the triple points as funnel-shaped V-formations, the so-called Mach funnel. The head-on collision of two shock waves is marked as a narrow line of piled-up soot.
Language
English