The Structure of Radiative Shock Waves. IV. Effects of Electron Thermal Conduction

Abstract

We considered the structure of steady-state radiative shock waves propagating in the partially ionized hydrogen gas with density rho1 = 1e-10 gm/cm^3 and temperature 3000K <= T1 <= 8000K. The radiative shock wave models with electron thermal conduction in the vicinity of the viscous jump are compared with pure radiative models. The threshold shock wave velocity above of which effects of electron thermal conduction become perceptible is of U1=70 km/s and corresponds to the upstream Mach numbers from M1= 6 at T1=8000K to M1=11 at T1=3000K. In shocks with efficient electron heat conduction more than a half of hydrogen atoms are ionized in the radiative precursor, whereas behind the viscous jump the hydrogen gas undergoes the full ionization. The existence of the electron conductive precursor leads to the enhancement of the Lyman continuum flux trapped in the surroundings of the discontinuous jump. For upstream velocities ranged within 70 km/s <= U1 <= 85 km/s the partially ionized hydrogen gas of the radiative precursor undergoes the additional ionization (<= 5%), whereas the total radiave flux emerging from the shock wave increases by 10% <= delta(FRad) <= 25% .