Breakdown of Smooth Shock Solutions in Transient Relativistic Hydrodynamics

Abstract

In this work, we demonstrate that shock solutions in the Israel-Stewart framework lose regularity once the shock velocity reaches a critical value, and a discontinuity emerges in the solution, which can be interpreted as a second shock wave. This subshock arises as a consequence of the finite speed of information propagation inherent to the Israel-Stewart theory. We then perform numerical simulations to confirm the breakdown of solution continuity. Subsequently, we propose two regularization procedures to extend the domain of continuous shock solutions. The first employs a third-order extension, which introduces new kinetic fields, while the second incorporates a small numerical bulk viscosity. Both methods effectively increase the maximum propagation speed of the Israel-Stewart theory and extend the range over which regular shock solutions exist. Thus, we confirm that this loss of regularity is a direct consequence of the Israel-Stewart framework. These results suggest that Israel-Stewart theory may not provide an adequate description of ultra-relativistic shock waves.