UDC 533.6

K. K. Singh and B. Nath

MAGNETOGASDYNAMIC SHOCK WAVES IN A NONIDEAL GASWITH HEAT 
CONDUCTION AND RADIATION HEAT FLUX

The purpose of this study is to obtain a self-similar solution of the problem 
of the propagation of a magnetogasdynamic shock wave in a nonideal gas with 
heat conduction and radiation heat flux in the presence of a spatially 
decreasing azimuthal magnetic field strength. The initial density of the medium 
is assumed to be constant. The heat conduction is expressed in terms of the 
Fourier's law, and the radiation is considered to be of diffusion type for 
the optically thick grey gas model. The thermal conductivity and absorption 
coefficients are assumed to vary with temperature and density. The shock is 
assumed to be driven by a piston moving with a variable velocity. Similarity 
solutions are obtained, and the effects of variation of the gas nonidealness 
parameter and Alfven-Mach number on the flow field behind the shock are investigated.

Keywords: shock wave, magnetogasdynamics, nonideal gas, self-similar flow, 
heat transfer effects.

Department of Mathematics, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong-793022, India; 
email: kaukumar@yahoo.com. Original article submitted August 11, 2011.