Shock structure and multiple sub-shocks in Grad 10-moment binary mixtures of monoatomic gases

Abstract

The problem of sub-shock occurrence within a shock structure solution is investigated for an inert binary mixture of monoatomic gases, modelled by a Grad 10-moment approximation of the Boltzmann equations. The main purpose of this paper is to show by numerical simulations the existence of discontinuous shock structure solutions for values of the shock speed below the maximum unperturbed characteristic velocity. Moreover, for suitable concentrations of the two species, and for shock velocities beyond the maximum unperturbed characteristic velocity, each constituent of the mixture generates a jump discontinuity, and the shock structure solution exhibits two sub-shocks.