Parametric study of the formation of magnetohydrodynamic shocks. III - Fast and slow shocks

Abstract

The interaction of two colliding streams may evolve to form fast and slow shocks. The shock system and the interaction region are in a state of dynamical equilibrium with the colliding streams. Dimensionless parameters are used to represent the two colliding streams and we study how various parameters control the transition of the nature of the shock system: from a pair of slow shocks, to a system of two slow shocks and two fast shocks, and finally to a pair of fast shocks. At decreasing β and θ (the angle between the wave normal and the field) the fast shocks become weaker and the slow shocks become stronger. At small β and θ, the shock system may consist of slow shocks only