Astrophysical Blastwaves

Shock waves are known to significantly alter the medium through with they propagate. Shocks in the interstellar medium have been known to affect star formation. Likewise, shocks in the intergalactic medium are expected to affect galaxy formation and the confinement of intergalactic clouds. Because of their significant influence, it is important to have a sound understanding of the different solutions used to study shocks and see how they differ. In this paper, I will focus on the self similar solution, thoroughly developed by Ostriker and McKee, and the explosion model, developed by Tegmark, Silk, and Evrard