Acoustic-gravity Waves Produced by Energy Release

or conclusions contained in this study should not be interpreted as representing the official opinion or policy of either ARPA or the USAF. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT This documrnl lias hrun approved for puMic relrasr and sale; its distrihution is unlimited. This Rand Memorandum is presented as a competent treatment of the subject, worthy of publication. The Rand Corporation vouches for the quality of the research, without necessarily endorsing the opinions and conclusions of the authors.cerned with the geomagnetic effects produced by such explosions. The present study is the start of an investigation of some aspects of the acoustic effects. SUMMARY A complete asymptotic analysis Is carried out for the flow field produced by the Instantaneous release of energy, at a point on the ground, in an isothermal atmosphere. A double integral representation of the flow is constructed from Laplace-Hankel transforms of the linearized equations. An asymptotic approximation to the integral is obtained by two successive applications of the method of stationary phase. It is found that there are three principal groups of dispersive waves behind the spherical acoustic front. One of these groups is contained in a high frequency band, and the other two in a low frequency band. The spatial domain of the low frequency waves is cut off by a front (caustic), the location of which is calculated. Some characteristics of the flow are discussed.