The Mach number ahead of a wave in a subsonic compressible flow, often denoted as , refers to the ratio of the velocity of the flow ahead of the wave to the local speed of sound in that region. It characterizes how fast the flow is moving relative to the speed of sound, and it’s a key parameter in compressible fluid dynamics, particularly in regions where the flow velocity is less than the speed of sound.
- Mach number ahead of the shock wave (M1)
- Specific heat ratio (γ)
- Total pressure of the freestream (p0,1) in N/m^2
- Freestream static pressure (p1) in N/m^2