On the ongoing quest to pinpoint the location of RR-MR transition in blast wave reflections

Fundamental processes such as the reflection of blast waves have received considerably less attention in the open literature than the case of steady or pseudo-steady reflection phenomena [1]. The true unsteadiness of these processes complicates both the numerical/analytical and experimental treatment, and further difficulties are introduced by the inherently destructive nature of trials involving explosives with masses ranging between a few hundred grams and several thousands of kilograms. The transfer of these tests into the laboratory environment, with a reduction of charge masses into the milligram range, has opened new possibilities to tackle such problems. The advantages and constraints of such laboratory-scale tests are discussed in [2, 3].