Shock dynamics of strong imploding cylindrical and spherical shock waves with non-ideal gas effects R K Anand Wave Motion (2013), http://dx.Abstract In this paper, the generalized analytical solution for one dimensional adiabatic flow behind the strong imploding shock waves propagating in a non-ideal gas is obtained by using Whitham's geometrical shock dynamics theory. Landau and Lifshitz's equation of state for non-ideal gas and Anand's generalized shock jump relations are taken into consideration to explore the effects due to an increase in (i) the propagation distance from the centre of convergence, (ii) the non-idealness parameter and, (iii) the adiabatic index, on the shock velocity, pressure, density, particle velocity, sound speed, adiabatic compressibility and the change in entropy across the shock front. The findings provided a clear picture of whether and how the non-idealness parameter and the adiabatic index affect the flow field behind the strong imploding shock front.Keywords Imploding shock waves, Non-ideal gas, Shock jump relations, Non-idealness parameter, Adiabatic index PACS numbers: 47.40-X, 45.55.kf Shock dynamics of strong imploding cylindrical and spherical shock waves with non-ideal gas effects R K Anand Wave Motion (2013), http://dx.Shock wave phenomena also arise in astrophysics, hypersonic aerodynamics and hypervelocity impact. An understanding of the properties of the shock waves both in the near-field and the far-field is useful with regard to the characteristics such as shock strength, shock overpressure, shock speed, and impulse.The first study on converging shock waves was performed by Guderley [2], who presented his well-known self-similarity solution of strong converging cylindrical and spherical shock waves close to focus. The problem was also studied independently by Chester [3], Chisnell [4], and Whitham [5] with approximate methods, specifically geometrical shock dynamics. In their solutions, the exponent in the expression for Mach number as a function of shock radius for the spherical case is exactly twice that for the cylindrical case. This approximate result differs from the exact solution by less than one percent. The geometrical shock dynamics approach is both simple and intuitive while providing fairly accurate results. Sakurai [6,7], Sedov [8], Zel'dovich and Raizer [9], Lazarus and Richtmeyer [10], Van Dyke and Guttmann [11] and Hafner [12]presented high-accuracy results adopting alternative approaches for the investigation of the implosion problem under consideration. A numerical solution for a converging cylindrical shock wave was presented by Payne [13]. The problem of contracting spherical or cylindrical shock front propagation into a uniform gas at rest was studied by Stanyukovich [14]. The effects of overtaking disturbances on the motion of converging shock waves were studied by Yousaf [15]. The problems of implosion of a spherical shock wave in a gas and collapse of a spherical bubble in a liquid are discussed by Zel'dovich and Raizer [9] by using a self simila...