Colliding winds: Interaction regions with strong heat conduction

The interaction of fast stellar wind with a slower wind from previous mass loss gives rise to a region of hot, shocked gas. We obtain self-similar solutions for the interaction region under the assumptions of constant mass loss rate and wind velocity for the two winds, conversion of energy in the shock region, and either isothermal electrons and adiabatic ions or isothermal electrons ad ions in the shocked region. The isothermal assumption is intended to show the effects of strog heat conduction. The solutions have no heat conduction through the shock waves and assume that the electron and ion temperatures are equilibriated in the shock waves. The one-temperature isothermal solutions have nearly constant density through the shocked region, while the two-temperature solutions are intermediate between the one-temperature adiabatic and isothermal solutions. In the two-temperature solutions, the ion temperature goes to zero at the point where the gas comoves with the shocked region and the density peaks at this point. The solution may qualitatively describe the effects of heat conduction on interaction regions in the solar wind. It will be important to determine whether the assumption of no thermal waves outside the shocked region applies to shock waves in the solar wind