The Mach angle ()is a crucial parameter in supersonic aerodynamics, representing the conical shape of shock waves formed around an object moving faster than the speed of sound. It depends on the Mach number (M), the ratio of the object’s speed to the speed of sound. As the Mach number increases, the Mach angle decreases, indicating a tighter conical shape for the shock wave. The formula for the Mach angle () is given by:
Here:
- is the Mach angle,
- is the Mach number.