Shock waves in electrohydrodynamics

Abstract

The flows of multicomponent media with volume electric charge in electric field are considered. The equations are discussed describing such flows in electrohydrodynamic approximation and the relations on discontinuity surfaces are considered. It is shown that the set of equations on a discontinuity resulting from the conservation laws for mass, momentum and energy and from Maxwell equations is not closed: there is an insufficiency of a relation for determining a surface charge intensity which can be accumulated and conserved for a long time on a discontinuity front. A method was proposed to obtain additional equations closing the set of relations on a discontinuity from the analysis of a discontinuity structure. Complete study of a structure of electrodynamic shock waves was carried out with various forms of Ohm's law. Various physical mechanisms are considered resulting in a production of surface charge on a front of electrohydrodynamic shock waves.