Transitions through two successive oblique hydromagnetic shocks

Abstract

Landau and Lifshitz (1959) mentioned the following result: If two (or more) successive shock waves take a gas from state 1 to state 2 and from there to state 3, the transition of flow from state 1 to state 3 cannot, in general, be effected by the passage of only one shock wave. The object of this paper is to obtain the necessary and sufficient condition under which the transition of flow from state 1 to state 3 in steady flows of conducting gases can be effected by the passage of a single magneto-gasdynamic shock. Furthermore, the condition is obtained under which the stream-line, which passes through two successive oblique hydromagnetic shocks at a point P, will remain unaffected if the transition of flow from state 1 to state 3 is effected by the passage of a single oblique hydromagnetic shock.