Positron acoustic shock waves in four-component plasmas with nonthermal electrons and positrons

Positron acoustic shock waves (PASWs) in an unmagnetized four-component plasma system consisting of a cold mobile viscous positron fluid, hot positrons and electrons following the nonthermal distributions of Cairns et al. [Geophys. Res. Lett. 22, 2709 (1995)], and immobile positive ions are studied both analytically and numerically. The well-known reductive perturbation method is used to derive the Burgers equation. The basic features of the PASWs are significantly modified by the effects of the kinematic viscosity, the nonthermal electrons and hot positrons, the ratio of the electron temperature to the hot positron temperature σ, and the ratio of the hot positron (electron) number density to the cold positron number density μ 1 (μ 2). The importance of our results to various astrophysical and laboratory plasmas are concisely discussed.