The effects of ionization on the jump conditions for MHD and transverse ionizing shock waves

The jump conditions for MHD shock waves in partly ionized gases and for transverse ionizing shock waves in neutral gases are obtained in explicit forms suitable for calculation. The fractional ionization behind the shock front is determined by assuming the plasma reaches Saha ionizational equilibrium. Solutions to the MHD jump equations are calculated for geometries ranging from transverse to switch-on. Switch-on shock jump solutions are compared with experimental observations of switch-on shock waves in partly ionized hydrogen plasmas. Numerical solutions are presented for transverse ionizing shock waves in hydrogen, using the pre-shock electric field as a variable parameter, and the modes of propagation of such shock waves are examined in detail. Ionization is found to play a significant role in medium shock speed behavior, particularly in determining the density jump.