Radiative shock solutions with grey nonequilibrium diffusion

This study describes a semi-analytic solution of planar radiative shock waves with a grey nonequilibrium diffusion radiation model. The solution may be used to verify radiation-hydrodynamics codes. Comparisons are made with the equilibrium diffusion solutions of Lowrie and Rauenzahn (Shock Waves 16(6):445–453, 2007). The solution also gives additional insight into the structure of radiative shocks. Previous work has assumed that the material temperature reaches its maximum at the post-shock state of the embedded hydrodynamic shock (Zel’dovich spike). We show that in many cases, the temperature may continue to increase after the hydrodynamic shock and reaches its maximum at the isothermal sonic point. Also, a temperature spike may exist even in the absence of an embedded hydrodynamic shock. We also derive an improved estimate for the maximum temperature.