Oscillating Shock Profiles in Relativistic Fluid Dynamics

TL;DR

This paper investigates shock waves in a relativistic fluid model, revealing that their profiles can oscillate, contrasting with classical fluids where shock profiles are monotonic, thus highlighting unique relativistic effects.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of oscillating shock profiles in a relativistic fluid model, a behavior not observed in classical fluid dynamics.

Findings

Shock profiles can oscillate in relativistic fluids.

Oscillations differ from classical monotonic shock profiles.

Relativistic effects lead to new shock wave behaviors.

Abstract

This note studies a model for relativistic pure-radiation fluids with viscosity that was recently proposed by Bemfica, Disconzi and Noronha, and shows that there are shock waves whose continuous shock profiles, if existing, are oscillating in any variables. This behavior differs significantly from the situation in classical fluid dynamics, in which canonical state variables are monotone along the shock profile.