Propagation of radiative shock waves in an inhomogeneous cosmic medium

Abstract

The propagation of two strong radiative shocks moving opposite in an inhomogeneous cosmic medium is calculated by a 'modified' characteristic method. It is found that the shock propagation is seriously affected by radiation losses and by the inhomogeneity of the medium; the cooled and recombined post-shock gas first appears near the shock front. This differs from results derived from steady state solutions, which predict that the condensation should appear first at the contact surface.