LAUSR

The propagation of a spherical shock wave in a non‐ideal gas with or without gravitational effects is investigated under the action of monochromatic radiation. Similarity solutions are obtained for adiabatic flow between the shock and the piston. The numerical solutions are obtained using the Runge‐Kutta method of the fourth order. The density of the gas is assumed to be constant. The total energy of the shock wave is non‐constant and varies with time. The effects of change in values of non‐idealness parameter, gravitational parameter, shock Mach number, radiation parameter, and adiabatic exponent of the gas on shock strength and flow variables are worked out in detail. It is investigated that the presence of gravitational field increases the compressibility of the medium, due to which it is compressed and, therefore, the distance between the inner contact surface and the shock surface is reduced. A comparison is also made between the solutions in the cases of the gravitating and the non‐gravitating media. It is manifested that the gravitational parameter and the radiation parameter have in general opposite behaviour on the flow variables and the shock strength.