The centennial of Becker (1922): recent trends in the modeling and analysis of dissipative, compressible flow phenomena

This article celebrates the 100th anniversary of Richard Becker's groundbreaking work on compressible, dissipative flow phenomena. It delves into the historical context and significance of Becker's contributions, particularly his derivation of an exact solution for the compressible, 1D Navier–Stoukes–Fourier system. The paper explores the subsequent developments and challenges in shock wave theory, including the impact of temperature-dependent viscosity and the adequacy of the Navier–Stokes–Fourier equations in describing shock phenomena. It also discusses experimental validations and generalizations of the NSF system, highlighting the potential of general continuum theory in capturing moderate to strong shocks. The special issue features contributions from distinguished experts, offering a snapshot of recent advancements in the modeling and analysis of fluid phenomena across various domains, including gas dynamics, acoustics, and magnetohydrodynamics.