On the propagation of sound waves in a stellar wind traversed by periodic strong shocks

Abstract

It has been claimed that in stellar winds traversed by strong shocks the mechanism for driving the wind by sound wave pressure cannot operate because sound waves cannot propagate past the shocks. It is shown here that sound waves can propagate through shocks in one direction and that this is a sufficient condition for the sound wave pressure mechanism to work. A strong shock amplifies a sound wave passing through it and can drag the sound wave away from the star. It is immaterial for the sound wave pressure gradient that the sound wave vector points towards the star. Since the strong shocks drag the sound waves away, the star itself is the source for the sound waves propagating towards it.