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Structure and stability of weakheatrelease detonations for finite Mach numbers

Mark Short and A. Blythe Philip Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 2002 458, 1795-1807 doi: 10.1098/rspa.2001.0936

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10.1098/rspa.2001.0936

Structure and stability of weak-heat-release detonations for nite Mach numbers

By M a r k Short1 a n d Philip A. Blythe2 Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Lehigh University, Lehigh, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
Received 12 September 2001; accepted 16 October 2001; published online 29 May 2002
1

The stability of an overdriven detonation wave for a one-step Arrhenius reaction in an ideal gas is examined in the limits of a nite detonation Mach number, small modied heat release (1) and large activation energy , limits that are relevant to the generation of the regular cellular detonation structures observed experimentally in highly diluted mixtures. Here, is the specic heat ratio and is the formation energy. The limiting case, = 0, corresponds to a nite Mach number reactionless shock, which in an ideal gas is always stable. Nevertheless, for small but nite values of ( 1), we will show that detonation instabilities can arise when perturbations in the reaction rate generated by a small disturbance at the shock front are sucient in magnitude to balance the corresponding acoustic uctuations that are also generated. These acoustic disturbances are also those that govern the stability of a reactionless shock ( = 0). Such reaction-rate perturbations are only generated for suciently large activation energies, and it is the precise magnitude of the activation energy that leads to detonation instability that we identify here for various choices of and . In particular, subject to the restriction on the modied heat release ( 1) 1, three new weakly exothermic ordered limits are identied that are relevant to detonation instability: (1) ( 1) = O(1) and ( 1) = O(1); (2) ( 1) = O(1) and ( 1) = o(1); and (3) ( 1) 1 and ( 1) = o(1).
Keywords: detonations; stability; partial dierential equations (PDEs)

1. Introduction
Gaseous detonations are chemically propagating compressible waves consisting of a shock front that is driven by volumetric expansion induced by chemical reaction of the shocked material. The steady one-dimensional structure of a detonation wave is due to Zeldovich, von Neumann and Dring and is known as the ZND wave. The o minimum sustainable steady detonation speed is the ChapmanJouguet (CJ) detonation velocity, which, for an irreversible exothermic reaction, is the speed at which the equilibrium or burnt zone ow is exactly sonic relative to the lead shock wave. Detonation waves travelling above the CJ velocity are called overdriven. Typical detonation speeds in gases are of the order of 5002000 m s1 , with peak pressures of the order of 10100 atm. For a one-step reaction of Arrhenius form in an ideal gas, the
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detonation structure is characterized by four parameters: the ratio of specic heats; the chemical heat release; the activation energy of the reaction; and the detonation Mach number (Fickett & Davis 1979) or, equivalently, the detonation overdrive. In practice, the idealized stable planar detonation waves described above are seldom observed. For instance, detonation waves propagating in a rectangular channel reveal a much-publicized pattern of three-dimensional cellular instability. These arise from intense regions of vorticity around shock intersection or triple points associated with the unstable detonation structure. The triple points arise at the intersection of incident and Mach stem shocks, which entail the normal detonation front, with a reected shock, which propagates transverse to the detonation front. The vorticity around the triple points causes their locus to be etched onto soot-covered foil lining the channel walls, revealing the cellular or diamond instability pattern. By simply varying the initial pressure or mixture fraction of the reactive material, the cells are observed either to be very regular or highly irregular in nature (Fickett & Davis 1979). An ability to understand the reasons why these instabilities occur and to model their development will be important to any practical system that uses the rapid energy conversion rates of detonation fronts. A relevant example that is concurrently enjoying much attention is the operation of the pulsed detonation engine (Kailasanath 2000). Being the simplest unstable structures, many experiments have been conducted on the laboratory scale on the mechanisms which generate the regular cell patterns. These are typically observed when the detonation propagates at some nite near-CJ Mach number, and the reactant material is highly diluted by as much as 90% with inerts (Fickett & Davis 1979). Irregular structures are observed by decreasing the percentage of diluent, thereby increasing the overall heat that would be released by complete chemical reaction of the mixture. Thus, from an experimental viewpoint, two-dimensionally stable waves might be expected to occur in the limit of very low overall heat release. Precisely this trend was conrmed by the early theoretical results of Erpenbeck (1964), who conducted a multi-dimensional linear stability analysis of a planar steady detonation for a one-step Arrhenius reaction. He found that for parameters typical of gaseous mixtures, stable waves can only exist for suciently low values of the heat release. To give a specic example, it is convenient to dene quantities Q and E to represent the chemical heat release and activation energy, respectively, scaled with respect to the thermal enthalpy of the unshocked material, or E Q , E= , (1.1) Q= R T0 R T0 where Q represents the dimensional heat release, E the dimensional activation energy, R the gas constant and T0 the dimensional temperature of the ambient unshocked material. Erpenbeck (1964) showed that for an activation energy E = 50, typical of gaseous explosives, a ratio of specic heats = 1.2 and a detonation overdrive f = 1.2, the detonation is stable to two-dimensional disturbances only when the heat release is below Q = 0.3. Although the general detonation stability problem is remarkably complex, from a theoretical viewpoint we have reason to believe that analytical progress on this problem can be made in the asymptotic limit of Q 1, or low heat release, particularly for parameters near the neutral stability boundary, where weakly nonlinear stability
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analyses combined with the Q 1 limit could be applied. Additionally, because the transverse wave structures would be weak in such cases, our understanding of the transverse wave collision process should be greatly improved. On the other hand, from an experimental viewpoint, predicting parameters for generating stable waves would greatly help our understanding of many detonation phenomena, for example, the detonation-failure problem, without the additional complications of instability. In the present paper, we will characterize the critical magnitudes of the detonation parameters for low exothermic reactions where one could expect to observe a stable or marginally unstable nite Mach number detonation, i.e. we will characterize the high diluent regimes that Erpenbeck (1964) predicted would generate the regular cell structures observed in the laboratory-scale experiments. In particular, we will show that this occurs only when a suciently large activation energy is assumed, so that a non-trivial coupling between perturbations in the rate and energy equations occurs. The stability of detonations in the limit of weak heat release has also previously been considered in a recent paper by Short & Stewart (1999). Specically, they considered the problem in which the heat release scaled with respect to the thermal enthalpy of the shocked material is small, or = Q RT
s

1,

(1.2)

where Ts is the immediate post-shock dimensional temperature. Note that the two denitions of the heat releases, and Q, dier by the temperature jump across the detonation shock 2 = Ts /T0 , where 2 = (2D2 + 1)[( 1) + 2/D2 ] , ( + 1)2 (1.3)

which, for an O(1) Mach number D , is itself O(1). When 1, the steady detonation structure comprises a uniform state to leading order, i.e. the inert shock structure, with modications due to small appearing as a rst-order correction to 1 is the uniform state. It should be noted that for nite Mach numbers D , equivalent to Q 1. They showed that for a detonation propagating with a nite Mach number D , with the overdrive f such that f 1 = O(1), and for ( 1)Q 1, E 1 , ( 1)Q (1.4)

the leading-order linear stability problem was governed by that of a reactionless shock with an equivalent D , and thus the detonation is always stable (Majda & Rosales 1983). Note that not only does (1.2) include the case where ( 1) = ord(1), Q 1, but also the case where ( 1) 1, the Newtonian limit, with Q = O(1). Thus detonations with nite D and the product ( 1)Q small, a quantity we refer to as the modied heat release, only require that the activation energy E be much less than 1/( 1)Q to be stable to two-dimensional detonations. Short & Stewart (1999) does not say anything about the parameters that characterize marginally unstable detonations in the laboratory-scale experiments described above when D = O(1), and this is the question we address here. In this paper we will show that in order to induce instability in a detonation when the modied heat release ( 1)Q is small, perturbations in the reaction rate
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that are carried along particle paths must be sucient in magnitude to balance the acoustic uctuations to the leading-order uniform post-shock state that are generated from perturbations in the shock state. This only occurs when the activation energy of the reaction is suciently large. In particular, we will identify three new weakly exothermic regimes, dened by the relative magnitudes of Q, E and 1, of which two are able to characterize marginally unstable detonations in the weak exothermicity limit.

2. Model and steady detonation structure

The rate process is modelled as an irreversible one-step Arrhenius rst-order reaction, with DY = r = K(1 Y ) exp (2.1) Dt T where Y is the reaction progress variable, T is the temperature, K is a suitable pre-factor and = E/RTs is the activation energy. Appropriate conservation laws are D Du v De Dv + u = 0, + p = 0, +p = 0, (2.2) Dt Dt Dt Dt with caloric and ideal thermal equations of state e= T Y, ( 1) T = p . (2.3)

Here, p is the pressure, is the density, v is the specic volume, e is the internal energy, u = (u1 , u2 ) is the velocity, is the specic heat ratio and is the formation (chemical) energy of the unreacted mixture. Density, pressure, temperature and velocity are made dimensionless with respect to the steady post-shock density, temperature and sound speed (c ), respectively. The steady half-reaction length (l ) s is used as the length-scale, and l /c as the time-scale. s Alternative values of and , dened in terms of the pre-shock thermal energy, are denoted by Q and E, respectively (see (1.1)). The model dened by (2.1)(2.3) supports the steady detonation structure p = a + (1 a)[1 ( 1)bY ]1/2 , (2.4) (1 p ) Ms u = + Ms , u = 0, = , 1 2 Ms u1
where Ms is the post-shock Mach number, while a and b are constants dened in terms of Ms and (Short & Stewart 1999). Correspondingly, the variation in the reaction progress variable is determined by the rst-order equation YX = r /u , 1

(2.5)

where X is a steady shock-attached coordinate. Based on the dimensionless lengthscale, the pre-factor
1/2

K=
0

u (1 Y ) exp 1

dY . p /

(2.6)

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Weak-heat-release detonations In addition, the shock conditions are = p = T = 1,

u = Ms , 1

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u = 0, 2

Y = 0.

(2.7)

The steady structure is completed by specifying the detonation overdrive f dened as f = (D /DCJ )2 , where D is the detonation Mach number and DCJ is the Chapman Jouguet detonation velocity. Note that 1/2 1/2 ( 2 1) ( 2 1) 1+ , DCJ = Q + 1+ Q 1 (2.8) 1/2 ( 1)D2 + 2 , Ms = 2D2 ( 1) so that through (1.1)(1.3) and (2.8), it can be seen how the shock Mach number D enters the picture. A normal-mode linear stability analysis of the steady-state structure dened by equations (2.4)(2.7) is carried out by dening a shock-attached coordinate system x = X h(y, t), where h(y, t) represents the shock perturbation. Perturbations to the steady structure take the form z = z (x) + z (x)et+iky , h = h et+iky , (2.9)

for eigenvalue and wavenumber k. In (2.9), the vector z = [v, u1 , u2 , p, Y ], and z (x) corresponds to the perturbation eigenfunctions. The dierential system governing z has the form A ,x + ( + ikB +C ) ( + ikB )z,x = 0, (2.10) where = z /h and A , B and C are functions of the steady-state dened in Short & Stewart (1998). The system of ve ordinary dierential equations dened in (2.10) is supplemented by ve shock conditions obtained from the Rankine Hugoniot relations and a single acoustic radiation condition that eliminates disturbances propagating upstream from a point where the reaction has eectively terminated. This system can be solved numerically for specied choices of , , and f using a shooting method that integrates either from the shock to the burnt zone (Lee & Stewart 1990; Bourlioux & Majda 1992; Bourlioux et al . 1991; Short & Stewart 1998) or from the burnt zone to the shock (Sharpe 1997).

3. Stability of weak-heat-release detonations

(a) 1, ( 1) = O(1), = O(1)

As in Short & Stewart (1999), we again consider a weak-heat-release limit for detonations starting with the assumption that 1, (3.1)
so that Q = O() and, from (2.8), DCJ = O(1). For the present, it is also assumed that the specic heats ratio ( 1) = O(1) and the overdrive f 1 = O(1) > 0; the latter restriction avoids a complex transonic ow problem that occurs for f = 1. Hence (3.2) D2 1 = O(1) > 0.

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Consequently, the post-shock ow Mach number Ms = O(1). In fact, it is necessary to choose D such that Ms < 1/ , in order that a steady solution exists. Under these assumptions, the steady relations (2.4) may be expanded to O() as 2 ( 1)Ms p 1 Y , 2 (1 Ms ) 0 ( 1)Ms Y0 , u 1 Ms + 2 ) (1 Ms (3.3) ( 1) v (x) 1 + Y , 2 (1 Ms ) 0 2 ( 1) (1 Ms ) T (x) 1 + Y0 , 2 ) (1 Ms

where

Y (x) Y0 (x) + Y1 (x).

(3.4)

Technically, equations (3.3) will always arise whenever the modied heat release ( 1) 1. At this stage, the expansions are independent of the size of the activation energy . For f = O(1), Short & Stewart (1999) considered an activation energy 1 . In the present case, we will show that the limit = O(1) (3.5)

should be assumed in order to generate unstable weakly exothermic detonations. It is only this scaling for which perturbations in the chemical reaction rate are comparable with acoustic disturbances that govern reactionless shock stability. Using (3.3), the exponential factor in (2.1) then becomes, to leading order, exp exp[] exp[Y0 ], T with =
2 ( 1) (1 Ms ) > 0. 2 (1 Ms )

(3.6)

For the limit (3.5), = O(1). Consequently, after substituting equation (3.3) into K K0 (1 + K1 ), we get
K0 = Ms exp( )[ Ei( 1 ) + Ei()] = O(e ), 2

(3.7)

where Ei is the exponential integral. Y0 (x) is determined by the implicit relation Ei[(Y0 (x) + 1)] = Ei() 1 x
1 Ei( 2 ) +1 Ei()

(3.8)

In addition, the rate function r r0 (x) + r1 (x), where r0 (x) = Ms Y0,x (x).

(3.9)

Note that both Y0 (x) and r0 (x) vary smoothly with x, despite the assumption of a large activation energy. By expanding the steady relations (2.4) to O( 2 ), an expres sion for r1 (x) can also be evaluated. By substituting the steady relations (3.3) and (3.4) into the exact stability problem (2.10), the leading-order perturbation eigenfunctions 0 (x) are found to

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Weak-heat-release detonations satisfy the leading-order stability problem

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1 v0 (u10,x + iku20 ) = 0, Ms Ms 1 p0,x = 0, u10,x + u10 + Ms Ms ik p0 = 0, u20,x + u20 + Ms Ms (3.10) T0,x + T0 + ( 1) v0,x + v0 Ms Ms ( 1) 1 r0 (x)T0 ( 1)Y0 exp[(Y0 1)][ Ei( 2 ) + Ei()], = Ms r0 (x) T0 , Y0,x + Y0 = Ms Ms T0 = v0 + p0 . v0,x + Of particular note is that the reaction-rate perturbation Y is times larger than the temperature perturbation T , as can be seen from (3.10), i.e. Y = O(). (3.11)

It is therefore convenient to introduce a new variable Y such that Y = Y . It is also readily observed that if 1/, the terms on the right-hand side of the energy equation are o(1). However, when = O(1), all non-zero terms on the right-hand side of (3.10) are O(1). Thus, under this limit, the leading-order stability problem has been reduced to one in which the terms on the left-hand side of (3.10) govern the stability of a reactionless shock, while those on the right-hand side of (3.10) relate to forcing terms that are perturbations in the chemical reaction rate brought about by the presence of a large activation energy. In particular, the perturbation eigenfunction for the reaction progress variable Y is O() larger than the remaining perturbation eigenfunctions. Without these reaction-rate perturbations, i.e. for 1/, the stability of the detonation is identical to that of the reactionless shock, which is stable. In order to establish the location of the neutral stability boundary when = O(1), attention is now conned to a weakly unstable problem and the eigenvalue is expanded as (3.12) i0i + (1r + i1i ). Formally, to solve this problem, the leading-order stability problem dened by (3.10) must now be supplemented by the rst-order problem, one dened at O(). Since we are unable to determine an analytical solution to the leading-order problem, we do not pursue this approach further. However, the asymptotic analysis described above clearly identies the parameter regime required to render unstable a weakly exothermic detonation. The approach we adopt is to substitute the steady results (3.3) and (3.4) directly into (2.10), which denes a stability problem valid to O(), and then integrate these relations subject to the standard shock and radiation condi tions, where, for consistency, the O() reaction rate r = r0 + r1 is also substituted
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0.005 0.004 Re ( ) 0.003 0.002 0.001 0 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 k (a)

M. Short and P. A. Blythe

1.00 0.80 0.60 0.40 1.2 1.4 1.6 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 k 1.2 1.4 1.6 (b)

Figure 1. Detonation stability spectrum for Q = 0.125, = 1.4, f = 1.2 and E = 50. Dashed lines are obtained by the O() approximation to the steady-state from (3.3). Solid lines are exact numerical calculations using (2.10) (see Short & Stewart 1998).

into (2.10). In other words, we do not explicitly expand the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions in . The resultant error terms are then o(). Figure 1 shows the variation of Re() and Im(), with wavenumber k obtained by approximating the steady structure to O() in the manner described above. Solid lines in this gure represent numerical solutions of (2.10) that are determined without using the weak-heat-release approximation for the steady solution (Short & Stewart 1998). Parameter values are chosen to correspond to the limit identied in (3.5) with Q = 0.125, = 1.4, f = 1.2 and E = 50; these imply that = 0.08 and = 2.17, numerical values that clearly approximate the asymptotic regime discussed above. In both the approximate and exact cases, there is a single oscillatory mode of instability dened over a nite range of wavenumbers. For the approximate solution, the instability band is dened by 0.566 < k < 1.563, and the maximum growth rate occurs at k = 0.884. As can be seen, the approximation for Re() is reasonable, while that for Im() is very good. This can be expected from (3.12), since Im() is given by a two-term approximation, but only the rst term in the approximation for Re() is calculated. Figure 2 shows the eigenfunction structures at k = 0.566, k = 0.884 and k = 1.563 obtained by approximating the steady-state structure to O(). Of particular note is the large amplitude of Im(Y ) in comparison with the amplitude of the remaining eigenfunctions, a behaviour predicted by our asymptotic analysis through the scaling (3.11). This is associated with a requirement that in order to generate instability, the leading-order perturbations in the reaction rate must inuence those in the pressure and velocity elds when = O(1). Figure 3 shows the migration with decreasing Q of the two neutral stability points identied in gure 1. Both the approximate and exact solutions have a critical heat release Qc below which the detonation is stable. The estimate from the approximate solution is Qc = 0.1138, compared with the exact value Qc = 0.1157. (b) ( 1) 1, = O(1), ( 1) = O(1)

At nite detonation Mach numbers, the results (3.3) and (3.10) remain valid, provided that the modied heat release ( 1) 1. Consequently, it is also of
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0.4 0.2 Re (') 0 Im ( ' ) (a) 1 0 1 2 3 4 (c) 0.4 Re (') Im ( ' ) 0 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 2 1 Re (') 0 1 2 Im ( ' ) (e) 2 0 2 4 0 5 10 x 15 20 6 0 5 10 x 15

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(b)

0.2 0.4

(d)

0.4

(f)

20

Figure 2. Approximate perturbation eigenfunction structure showing (a) Re(z ) versus x and (b) Im(z ) versus x at the low-wavenumber neutral stability point k = 0.566, (c) Re(z ) versus x and (d) Im(z ) versus x at the point of maximum growth rate k = 0.884, (e) Re(z ) versus x and (f ) Im(z ) versus x at the high-wavenumber neutral stability point k = 1.563 for the single unstable mode when Q = 0.125, E = 50, = 1.4 and f = 1.2. The curves correspond to v (), u1 ( ), u2 ( ), p ( ) and Y ( ).

1.6 1.4 1.2 k 1.0 0.8 0.6

(a)

(b)

0.114

0.118

0.122

0.4

0.6

Im ( )

0.8

1.0

Figure 3. Migration of the neutral stability points for E = 50, f = 1.2 and = 1.4.
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interest to examine the limit in which = O(1), but 1 1 and ( 1) = O(1), (3.13)

so that a small modied heat release occurs due to the ratio of specic heats being close to one, the Newtonian limit, rather than the actual heat release being small. In this case, it can be shown that, at the shock, T = ( 1) 4 ( + 1)Ms D4 + 1 . D2 (2D2 + 1) (3.14)

Hence T0 = O(1). It should also be observed from (3.6) that, with (1) = O(1), = O(1) and therefore, from (3.8) and (3.9), r0 and Y0 remain O(1). It therefore follows from (3.10) that Y0 = O(1). Consequently, equations (3.10) can be used to establish an equation for the pressure perturbation of the form p0,x + p + (u10,x + iku20 ) 0 Ms Ms ( 1) = r0 (x)T0 ( 1)Y0 exp[(Y0 1)][ Ei( 1 ) + Ei()]. (3.15) 2 Ms

Finally, from this result, using T0 = O( 1), it can be seen that the term on the right-hand side of (3.15) is O( 1) and can be neglected, so that p0,x + p + (u10,x + iku20 ) = 0. 0 Ms Ms (3.16)

This equation, together with the rst three results in (3.10), is identical to the stability problem for a reactionless nite Mach number shock. Thus the detonation structure is stable in the present limit, our second result. (c) ( 1) 1, = O(1), ( 1) 1

The results discussed in 3 (b), for which the detonation is stable, are valid for ( 1) = O(1), but that description does not remain valid for ( 1) 1, i.e. as the activation energy is increased further. In this case, the right-hand side in the pressure relation (3.15) becomes signicant. Consequently, the description no longer corresponds to that of a reactionless shock, and the possibility of instabilities is again present. Again, however, provided that the modied heat release ( 1) is small, equations (3.3) and (3.10) still provide valid descriptions for the steady structure 1. Consequently, these equations appear to hold and stability problem if ( 1)2 when 1 ( 1) 1. (3.17) ( 1) In this limit, 1, and on the scale of the half reaction length, x = O(1), the structure is now equivalent to a square detonation wave. A detailed description of the wave prole will not be attempted in this paper. Nevertheless, it is possible to show that for the steady prole, the mass fraction change in the induction zone is O(1 ), where = ( 1), and the temperature change is O(1 ). Similarly, the subsequent growth zone, where Y = O(1), is exponentially thin in . The region
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0.10 0.05 Re ( ) Im ( ) 0 (a) 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 k 3 4 5 0 1 2 k 3 4 (b)

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0.05

Figure 4. Detonation stability spectrum (a) Re() and (b) Im() against wavenumber corresponding to E = 50, f = 1.2, = 1.2 and Q = 0.4 (), Q = 0.45 ( ) and Q = 0.55 ( ).

0.1 0 0.1

(a)

1.6

(b)

Re ()

1.4 Im () 1.2 1.6 1.7 1.8 k 1.9 2.0 1.0 1.5

0.2 1.5

1.6

1.7

1.8 k

1.9

2.0

Figure 5. Interaction between two modes. The dashed lines correspond to Q = 0.57, dotted lines to Q = 0.58 and solid lines to Q = 0.59.

corresponding to 1, suggested by the above comments, has been investigated by carrying out a series of numerical calculations based on the full system (2.10). Figure 4 illustrates the stability spectrum of a detonation having E = 50, = 1.2 and f = 1.2 for three values of the heat release Q = 0.4, Q = 0.45 and Q = 0.55, corresponding to ( 1) = 0.070, 0.078, 0.094 and ( 1) = 8.72, 8.66, 8.55, respectively. These solutions represent the lowest-frequency modes and are obtained using the numerical algorithm described in Short & Stewart (1998). For Q = 0.4, there is a single nite range of wavenumbers over which the detonation is unstable. A neutral stability boundary is rst crossed at k = 0.387, and crossed again at k = 1.528. However, at Q = 0.45, there are two bands of wavenumbers over which the detonation is unstable. Unlike previously calculated detonation spectra (Short & Stewart 1998), these correspond to the same mode (see gure 4). For Q = 0.45, the neutral stability boundary is rst crossed at k = 0.308, and crossed again at k = 1.730. However, the mode also becomes unstable at k = 1.833, generates a nite region of instability, and crosses the neutral stability boundary again at k = 3.090, after which no more crossings take place. A similar behaviour is observed for Q = 0.55. This behaviour, which has to our knowledge hitherto not been observed in the context of detonation stability, can be explained as a linear interaction between the low-frequency mode and a higher-frequency mode. This interaction is illustrated in gure 5, which shows the stability behaviour for Q = 0.57, Q = 0.58 and Q = 0.59 in a wavenumber region in which the mode crossing
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is clearly observed. For these Q, ( 1) = 0.097, 0.099, 0.100 and ( 1) = 8.534, 8.524, 8.514, respectively. Dashed lines correspond to Q = 0.57, dotted lines to Q = 0.58 and solid lines to Q = 0.59. At k = 1.5 in gure 5a, the upper branches correspond to the set of lower-frequency modes observed in gure 5b at k = 1.5. Other lines correspond to the next-higher-frequency mode. For Q = 0.57 and Q = 0.58, gure 5b illustrates a crossing of lower- and higher-frequency modes in frequency space, which leads to the lower-frequency mode re-emerging in the unstable space, as shown in gure 5a. When Q = 0.59, however, the frequencies of the two modes remain distinct, and the lower-frequency mode crosses the neutral stability boundary at k = 1.730 and does not re-emerge into the unstable domain. Alternatively, the higher-frequency mode, identied by the solid line with Re() < 0 at k = 1.5 in gure 5a, crosses the neutral stability boundary at k = 1.980. Crossings of this type represent the typical behaviour observed in multi-mode detonation instability (Short & Stewart 1998). Any analytical models of detonation stability in the limits ( 1) 1, 1 should be able to capture this mode interaction. It should be noted that the stable modes shown above are valid in the sense that our model is not an unbounded one. Rather than apply an alternative condition, which on an innite domain enforces a boundedness condition at innity, we apply an acoustic radiation condition at some large but nite distance downstream of the shock at a point where perturbations in reactant mass fraction can be ignored. The dierent models, or closure conditions, lead to unsteady eigenvalues that are essentially indistinguishable, but our model allows the tracking of stable modes. The actual point where the radiation condition is applied is unimportant, since calculated eigenvalues begin to converge rapidly, i.e. the perturbations are acoustically radiating, after a distance of only a few half-reaction lengths behind the detonation shock (Short & Stewart 1998). This condition is also one that is more representative of the condition that is used in many numerical studies on the nonlinear stability of steady detonation structures (see, for example, Bourlioux et al . 1991). Here, a non-reecting boundary condition is applied at some large distance behind the steady detonation shock, so that downstream propagating disturbances arising in the burnt zone are not reected upstream. Thus, for initially perturbed stable waves, we should see the development of spatially growing waves in the burnt zone, but since the calculation domain is spatially conned and the temporal evolution nite, we need never be concerned with unboundness. Indeed, this behaviour is precisely that observed by Bourlioux et al . (1991).

4. Conclusion
The stability of a nite Mach number overdriven detonation wave has been examined in the limit of weak modied heat release ( 1) and large activation energy , parameters that are particularly relevant to the generation of the regular cellular detonation structures observed experimentally in highly diluted mixtures. Three particular distinguished limits are considered. In case (a), when 1, ( 1) = O(1), = O(1), a nite band of unstable wavenumbers was determined. For case (b), with ( 1) 1, = O(1), ( 1) = O(1), all solutions were found to be stable. This limit, however, suggested that diculties might arise when ( 1) 1, and this situation was studied as case (c). All calculations in case (c) were carried out for
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the full linearized stability problem (2.10) and were not based on any formal asymptotic approach. The results demonstrated some interesting behaviour, including mode interactions and multiple stability domains. These ndings, and the identication of limits dening the instability of a nite Mach number, weak-heat-release detonation, are relevant to current research on multi-dimensional instability of detonation cells and, in particular, help to quantify the regions that lead to the generation of the cells in nite Mach number detonations in highly diluted mixtures.
M.S. was supported by the AFOSR.

References
Bourlioux, A. & Majda, A. J. 1992 Theoretical and numerical structure for unstable twodimensional detonations. Combust. Flame 90, 211229. Bourlioux, A., Majda, A. J. & Roytburd, V. 1991 Theoretical and numerical structure for unstable one-dimensional detonations. SIAM J. Appl. Math. 51, 303343. Erpenbeck, J. J. 1964 Stability of idealized one-reaction detonations. Phys. Fluids 7, 684696. Fickett, W. & Davis, W. C. 1979 Detonation. University of California Press. Kailasanath, K. 2000 Review of propulsion applications of detonation waves. AIAA J. 38 1698 1708. Lee, H. I. & Stewart, D. S. 1990 Calculation of linear instability: one-dimensional instability of plane detonation. J. Fluid Mech. 216, 103132. Majda, A. J. & Rosales, R. 1983 A theory for spontaneous Mach stem formation in reacting shock fronts I. the basic perturbation analysis. SIAM J. Appl. Math. 43 13101334. Sharpe, G. J. 1997 Linear stability of idealized detonations. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 453, 2603 2625. Short, M. & Stewart, D. S. 1998 Cellular detonation stability I. A normal-mode linear analysis. J. Fluid Mech. 368, 229262. Short, M. & Stewart, D. S. 1999 Multi-dimensional stability of weak-heat-release detonations. J. Fluid Mech. 382, 109136.

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