electromagnetic shock wave
electromagnetic shock wave
[i¦lek·trō·mag′ned·ik ′shäk ‚wāv] (electromagnetism)
Electromagnetic wave of great intensity which results when waves with different intensities propagate with different velocities in a nonlinear optical medium, and faster-traveling waves from a pulse of light catch up with preceding, slower traveling waves.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.