Statistical simulation of the transition between regular and mach reflection in steady flows

The transition of planar shock waves over straight wedges in steady flows between regular and Mach reflection was numerically studied by the DSMC method for small Knudsen numbers. The hysteresis effect was observed at increasing and decreasing shock wave angle. Stability of regular and Mach reflection configurations to perturbations was examined and a possibility of transforming one configuration to the other by means of the perturbations was shown. The effect of starting conditions in the dual solution domain was clarified.