Impact of frequency-dependent radiation on the dynamics and structure of radiative shocks

Radiative shocks are shock waves where radiation plays a crucial role in shaping their dynamics and structure. This study investigates the influence of advanced radiation modeling, using the M1-multigroup moment method, on the properties of radiative shocks. We identify three key effects: the shock velocity, the hydrodynamic properties of the downstream medium, and the radiative precursor. Our simulations show that approaching the spectral effect of photons with the M1 multigroup reduces the shock velocity, resulting in a lower Mach number. Additionally, we find that precise radiation modeling enlarges the regions within the radiative precursor where gas and radiation are thermodynamically out of equilibrium. Finally, we compare the downstream quantities from our simulations with predictions from the commonly used diffusion regime approximation, identifying deviations of 1 to 8% in gas temperature and 3 to 15% in density. These findings highlight the importance of accurate modeling of the interaction between radiation and matter to advance our understanding of radiative shocks.