Interaction of a shock wave with the wall layer

Experimental data on the motion of a shock wave in xenon along a plane glass wall freshly coated by a layer of bismuth are examined, with emphasis on the formation and evolution of a wedge-shaped precursor. It is found, in particular, that the main factor determining the formation and evolution of the precursor in the experiment described here is the heating of bismuth vapor by the principal shock wave to temperatures much higher than the phase transition temperature. The dependence of the precursor parameters on the shock tube size is examined.