Shock-wave structure in collisionless plasmas from results of laboratory experiments

Results of laboratory experiments on the study of collisionless shock wave structure in plasmas with and without a magnetic field are summarized, and comparisons with theoretical inferences are made. Consideration is given to the clarification of the collisionless dissipation mechanism and to the causes that bring it about. Transition conditions from one type of shock wave to another are analyzed. The relationship between laboratory experiments and the Earth bow shock measurements is also examined.An invited paper presented at STIP Workshop on Shock Waves in the Solar Corona and Interplanetary Space, 15–19 June, 1980, Smolenice, Czechoslovakia.