What causes a sonic boom?

A sonic boom occurs when an aircraft travels through the air at speeds faster than the speed of sound, known as transonic or supersonic speed. As the aircraft moves, it creates pressure waves in front of it. When these waves are compressed into a single shock wave due to the aircraft exceeding the speed of sound, it leads to a sudden change in pressure, which manifests as a loud noise known as a sonic boom.

The presence of shock waves is critical because these are the physical phenomena that arise when an object travels at supersonic speeds. The pressure change associated with these shock waves is decisive in producing the sonic boom effect. This understanding highlights the relationship between velocity and the compression of pressure waves in the atmosphere, which is fundamental in aerodynamics and supersonic flight.

While other factors like rapid ascent, abnormal weather conditions, or engine performance can influence flight dynamics or the characteristics of an aircraft, none of these directly lead to the phenomenon of a sonic boom in the way that the change in pressure across a shock wave does. Thus, the reason for the occurrence of a sonic boom specifically centers on the mechanics of pressure change associated with the shock waves created by supersonic flight.