Oblique ion acoustic shock waves in a magnetized plasma

Ion acoustic (IA) shock waves are studied in a magnetized plasma consisting of a cold viscous ion fluid and Maxwellian electrons. The Korteweg-de Vries-Burgers equation is derived by using the reductive perturbation method. It is shown that the combined effects of external magnetic field and obliqueness significantly modify the basic properties (viz., amplitude, width, speed, etc.) of the IA shock waves. It is observed that the ion-viscosity is a source of dissipation, and is responsible for the formation of IA shock structures. The implications of our results in some space and laboratory plasma situations are discussed. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.