Shock structure in a nine-velocity gas (Q1341779)

The exact structure of a shock is computed in a multiple-speed discrete- velocity gas, the nine-velocity gas, wherein the multiplicity of speeds ensures non-trivial thermodynamics. Obtained as a solution of the model Boltzmann equations, the procedure consists of tracking the shock as a trajectory of a three-dimensional dynamical system connecting an equilibrium upstream state to an equilibrium downstream state. The two equilibria satisfy the jump conditions obtained from the model Euler equations. Comparison of the shock structure to that in a monatomic perfect gas, as given by the Navier-Stokes equation, shows excellent agreement.