Influence of pressure waves on the initial development of an explosion kernel

The paper discusses the role of pressure waves in the propagation of deflagrations immediately after ignition. The effect of one-dimensional pressure interactions upon the mass burning rate of a planar flame is first of all discussed, whereby it is shown that there can be a large transient effect on the mass flux through the flame at different locations in the reaction zone. The paper then goes on to discuss two-dimensional effects, in particular the baroclinic production of vorticity leading to the eventual breakup of a laminar flame into a series of turbulent flamelets.