Can Decreases in Pressure Propagate as Shockwaves in Fluids and Gases?

[snorkack]

In low pressure gases, speed of sound is independent on pressure and depends only on temperature.

Therefore increase of pressure will propagate as shockwave - front of the wave compresses and heats the gas, allowing the rear of the wave to travel faster and pile up into a shock.

By the same cause, a decrease of pressure CANNOT propagate as shockwave in ideal gas - initial expansion cools the gas and slows down the rear of the wave, spreading out the unloading.

How about fluids?

The isothermal compressibility diverges to infinity at and below critical point. It does not and cannot get negative.

Adiabatic compressibility therefore stays finite everywhere.

How does the speed of sound around critical poind depend on pressure along adiabats?

Is there any region where speed of sound increases on expansion, enabling decrease of pressure to propagate as shockwave?

 

[cjl]

It looks like there are circumstances under which it is possible to get a rarefaction shock, though the example I found involves dense gas dynamics rather than liquids (which is what I'm assuming you mean when you say "fluids"). Here's a paper on the topic:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...sg=AFQjCNHhtkdCwk7vWm894XixVRJHB65_aw&cad=rja

 

[snorkack]

It looks like there are circumstances under which it is possible to get a rarefaction shock, though the example I found involves dense gas dynamics rather than liquids (which is what I'm assuming you mean when you say "fluids").

Since liquid and gas can continuously transform passing around critical point, "fluid" is a term which covers both.

 

[cjl]

Since liquid and gas can continuously transform passing around critical point, "fluid" is a term which covers both.

I'm fully aware of that. The reason I made the distinction is because it sounded like you were using "fluid" as something which was distinct from "gas" in the OP, when in fact there is substantial overlap. Reading the OP again, it appears that I may have simply misunderstood what you were trying to say. Regardless, the paper linked in my previous post should give an example.