Self-similar solutions for a nonlinear radiation diffusion equation

This paper considers the hydrodynamic equations with nonlinear conduction when the internal energy and the opacity have power-law dependences in the density and in the temperature. This system models the situation in which a dense solid is brought into contact with a thermal bath. It supports self-similar solutions that depend on the surface temperature. The self-similar solution can exhibit a shock wave followed by an ablation front if the surface temperature does not increase too fast in time, but it can exhibit a heat front followed by an isothermal shock otherwise. These flows are carefully studied in order to clarify the role of the initial solid density in the energy absorption and the ablation process. Comparisons with numerical simulations show excellent agreement.