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Decompressive (cooling rarefaction) shock in optically thin radiative plasma
1Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, UNAM, 70-543, CU, 04510, Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico.
Abstract:
It is shown that the decompressive shock, i.e., a shock where the pressure behind the front is smaller than the pressure ahead of it, is possible in a radiative plasma; this is in contrast to the situation in classic gas dynamics. An example of a steady state decompressive shock wave for a simple, but realistic model for radiative losses is presented. It is shown that it satisfies the Landau stability criteria.