Application of an axisymmetric implicit blunt body procedure - Computation of solar wind flows past terrestrial planets

A recently developed axisymmetric implicit unsteady Euler equation solver has been applied to the calculation of solar wind flows past terrestrial planets. The primary emphasis of this paper is on the application of that computational technique to the calculation of the flow field properties of steady, axisymmetric, supersonic/hypersonic flows past blunt-nosed shapes characteristic of interplanetary solar wind flows past both magnetic and nonmagnetic planets. The purpose is to demonstrate both the accuracy and flexibility of this new technique as well as to present a novel application of such supersonic blunt-body procedures.