# Shocks in nonlocal media

## TL;DR

This paper explores how collisionless shocks form and behave in nonlocal nonlinear media when a Gaussian laser beam propagates, revealing different dynamics depending on whether the nonlinearity is focusing or defocusing.

## Contribution

It provides a theoretical analysis of shock formation in nonlocal media, highlighting the contrasting effects of focusing and defocusing nonlinearities on shock dynamics.

## Key findings

- Shock persists in defocusing media despite nonlocal smoothing
- Focusing nonlinearity suppresses filamentation
- Thermal defocusing patterns align with theoretical predictions

## Abstract

We investigate the formation of collisionless shocks along the spatial profile of a gaussian laser beam propagating in nonlocal nonlinear media. For defocusing nonlinearity the shock survives the smoothing effect of the nonlocal response, though its dynamics is qualitatively affected by the latter, whereas for focusing nonlinearity it dominates over filamentation. The patterns observed in a thermal defocusing medium are interpreted in the framework of our theory.