Shock wave structure in a strongly nonlinear lattice with viscous dissipation

The shock wave structure in a one-dimensional lattice (e.g., granular chain of elastic particles) with a power law dependence of force on displacement between particles (F proportional to delta(n)) with viscous dissipation is considered and compared to the corresponding long wave approximation. A dissipative term depending on the relative velocity between neighboring particles is included to investigate its influence on the shape of a steady shock. The critical viscosity coefficient p(c), defining the transition from an oscillatory to a monotonic shock profile in strongly nonlinear systems, is obtained from the long-wave approximation for arbitrary values of the exponent n. The expression for the critical viscosity is comparable to the value obtained in the numerical analysis of a discrete system with a Hertzian contact interaction (n=3/2). The expression for p(c) in the weakly nonlinear case converges to the known equation for the critical viscosity. An initial disturbance in a discrete system approaches a stationary shock profile after traveling a short distance that is comparable to the width of the leading pulse of a stationary shock front. The shock front width is minimized when the viscosity is equal to its critical value.