The rise of forces on a wedge during the interaction of a sliding discharge with a supersonic flow

The force arising on a wedge during the interaction of a sliding discharge with a supersonic flow is investigated. The sliding discharge was created in a supersonic atmospheric-vacuum wind tunnel with Mach number M = 2, a Reynolds number of about 10$^6$, and static pressure in the flow $p$ = 0.15 bar. It was found that the effect of the discharge is not limited to the rise of a shock wave, but also significantly changes the character of the flow around the wedge due to pulsed heat release. With an increase in the discharge energy, its effect on the wedge also increases. The force created by a sliding discharge in a supersonic flow is several times greater than in static air, regardless of the pressure: 0.15 or 1 bar.