Shock front formation by two isotropic supersonic plasma jets

The interaction of two cathode spot plasma jets is modeled by considering the interaction of two isotropic supersonic plasma flows. The effect of this interaction on the plasma jets propagating from two identical sources, located on a common plane, is mathematically equivalent to the effect on the propagation of a single plasma jet (emitted from a single supersonic source) by a perfectly reflecting plane, placed normal to the source plane. The shape of the emerging shock front was calculated by matching the supersonic stream before the shock front with the stream behind the front using the Rankine-Hugoniot relation. It is found that the minimal distance of the shock front from the reflecting plane of symmetry is at the source plane at about 20% of the source separation distance. At large distances from the source plane, i.e., larger than source separation, the distance of the shock front from the plane of symmetry is approximately half of the source separation.