Radiation-Mediated Shocks: Kinetic Processes and Transition to Collisionless Shocks


Cite item

Full Text

Open Access Open Access
Restricted Access Access granted
Restricted Access Subscription Access

Abstract

We analyze the main features of radiation-mediated shocks at arbitrary shock velocities, both non-relativistic and relativistic. We describe two mechanisms, which may lead to formation of a sharp viscous subshock within otherwise smooth velocity profile at the shock front, even if the radiation pressure in the upstream is overwhelmingly large. These mechanisms are specific to sub-relativistic and relativistic radiation-mediated shocks and set high-velocity shocks apart from their non-relativistic counterparts, which do not develop a subshock if the radiation pressure is high enough. We briefly discuss implications of this finding.

About the authors

E. Derishev

Institute of Applied Physics

Author for correspondence.
Email: derishev@appl.sci-nnov.ru
Russian Federation, Nizhny Novgorod

Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
Action
1. JATS XML

Copyright (c) 2018 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.