Luftstötar

Luftstötar are rapid pressure disturbances propagating through the Earth's atmosphere, commonly described in English as shock waves in air or blast waves. They occur when a large amount of energy is released almost instantaneously or when an object moves through air at speeds exceeding the local speed of sound. The resulting pressure front travels outward at supersonic speed and is followed by changes in air density and temperature.

Causes range from natural sources such as bolides (meteors) and volcanic eruptions to human-made events including explosions, rocket launches, and sonic booms from high-speed aircraft. In the near field the wave is highly nonlinear and can cause damage; at greater distances the overpressure decays and the sound is perceived as a loud boom.

Key measurements describe peak overpressure, positive and negative pressure phases, and impulse. Instruments like fast pressure sensors and microbarometers are used to characterize luftstötar. Modeling often employs gas-dynamic theory and scaling laws to relate laboratory or small-scale tests to real-world events, for example through scaled distance relations.

Effects can include structural stress, window breakage, and physiological impacts on people and animals, depending on distance, orientation, and energy yield. In engineering practice, luftstötar are studied to design protective structures, establish safety standards, and assess environmental and public health implications. They also arise in aerodynamics and planetary science, such as the study of meteoroid entry and atmospheric re-entry phenomena.