Axially symmetric explosion in a spheroid

Abstract

The method of Laumbach and Probstein is applied to a point explosion in a spheroid with exponential density distribution. It is shown that the shock wave propagates strongly along the direction of symmetry axis and the envelope of the shock front elongates to the same direction. The rate of elongation of the shock envelope increases with the eccentricity of the spheroid and finally the blowout of the shock wave along the polar axis occurs when the eccentricity exceeds some critical value. It is suggested that such a blowout of the shock may be connected with some galactic outburst having axial symmetry.