wave it produces. Thus, shock tubes can be used as a tool used to both create and direct blast waves at a sensor or an object in order to imitate actual explosions and the damage that they cause on a smaller scale, provided that such explosions do not involve elevated temperatures and shrapnel or flying debris. Results from shock tube experiments can be used to develop and validate numerical model of the response of a material or object to an ambient blast wave without shrapnel or flying debris. Shock tubes can be used to experimentally determine which materials and designs would be best suited to the job of attenuating ambient blast waves without shrapnel or flying debris. The results can then be incorporated into designs to protect structures and people that might be exposed to an ambient blast wave without shrapnel or flying debris. Shock tubes are also used in biomedical research to find out how biological tissues are affected by blast waves. There are alternatives to the classical shock tube; for laboratory experiments at very high pressure, shock waves can also be created using high-intensity short-pulse lasers. See also Hypersonic wind tunnel Light-gas gun Ludwieg tube Expansion fan Shock tube detonator Shock wave Supersonic wind tunnel References External links RPI Shock Tube page Shock Tube Calculator Shock tube x-t Diagram High Pressure shock tube group Laboratory equipment Aerodynamics Engineering equipment Shock waves