Calculating Shock Wave Overpressure from High-Speed Video

Advances in high-speed video imaging make it possible to see the refraction of light due to the high-density gradient at the shock front without the need for parabolic mirrors or additional light sources necessary for Schlieren or shadowgraph imaging. The average shock front velocity between two points can be calculated by dividing the change in position by the elapsed time between the images. Using the Rankine-Hugoniot relationship demonstrated by Swisdak the peak overpressure of the shock wave can be calculated from its velocity eliminating the interference of the gage and mount