On the impossibility of regular reflection of steady-state shock wave from the axis of symmetry (Q1180856)

Some problems concerning the explanation of the fact that regular reflection of a shock wave from the axis of symmetry is impossible are considered. This fact is well-known and can be demonstrated by linear analysis. In this paper, we investigate the flow in the neighbourhood of this point and show that it should be conical. We also prove that the inverse problem of constructing the flow field and the boundary streamline from a given shock wave of arbitrary shape is physically unrealizable in a small neighbourhood of the axis of symmetry.