Simulation of the Behavior of Mixtures of Heavy Particles Behind a Shock Wave Front.

The two dimensional inviscid nonstationary flow behind a shock wave passing through solid uranium dioxide or carbide particles suspended in liquid iron was simulated numerically. Such layers can appear inside planets in the vicinity of the planet's solid core. Shock waves passing in the interior of a planet (resulting from a possible asteroid impact on the planet) can change parameters of the layer. The calculations demonstrated that the local particle massconcentration behind the incident and reflected shock waves increases considerably, which can cause a transition of the layer into a supercritical state and a nuclear explosion inside the planet. The problem was solved taking into account possible particle collisions and their deformation and fission as well as changes in the fields of major thermodynamic parameters inside and outside each particle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]