Shock wave structure in dense gases

The internal structure of a shock wave front in a gas is studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. A new approach to MD shock simulation is used, which enables one to consider a stationary shock front at rest and radically improves the quality of simulation. The profiles of flow variables and their fluctuations are calculated. The evolution of the velocity distribution function across the shock layer is calculated and compared with the bimodal distribution. The pair distribution function in the shock layer is determined. The surface tension associated with the shock wave is estimated. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.