title: Thermodynamic theory of the shock wave structure in a rarefied polyatomic gas: beyond the Bethe-Teller theory.
abstract: The structure of a shock wave in a rarefied polyatomic gas is studied on the basis of the theory of extended thermodynamics. Three types of the shock wave structure observed in experiments, that is, the nearly symmetric shock wave structure (type A, small Mach number), the asymmetric structure (type B, moderate Mach number), and the structure composed of thin and thick layers (type C, large Mach number), are explained by the theory in a unified way. The theoretical prediction of the profile of the mass density agrees well with the experimental data. The well-known Bethe-Teller theory of the shock wave structure in a polyatomic gas is reexamined in the light of the present theory.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.affiliation: Center for Social Contribution and Collaboration, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arima
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugiyama