Effect of dissipative phenomena on the evolution of shock waves

The Navier-Stokes equations for unsteady one-dimensional motion of gas having a perturbation front are reduced to a special dimensionless form. At small values of the argument responsible for the influence of dissipation, there are singular zones adjacent to: (1) the perturbation front, and (2) the source of generation of the motion. The simplified equations governing motion within corresponding boundary layers consequently are derived. A finite relation indicates whether, for given parameters of the viscous compressible flow, the perturbation front degenerates with time into a shock discontinuity, or viscous perturbations are going to spread throughout the whole flow. A sample numerical analysis of the complete Navier-Stokes equations is conducted for the case of a point explosion.