Properties of Rankine-Hugoniot curves for van der Waals fluids. (Q1421153)

The authors are interested in shock waves satisfying the condition that the specific entropy increases across a right-moving discontinuity, and decreases across a left-moving one. Based on reformulation of the entropy condition, the authors provide a complete description of all admissible shock waves classified into two distinct categories: the compressive shock waves satisfying standard (Liu, Lax) entropy criteria, and compressive shocks violating these criteria and satisfying a kinetic relation.