Abstract
Properties of fully nonlinear ion-acoustic waves in a multicomponent plasma consisting of warm positive ions, superthermal electrons, as well as positrons, and dust impurities have been investigated. By using the hydrodynamic model for ions and superthermal electron/positron distribution, a Sagdeev potential has been derived. Existence conditions for large amplitude solitary and shock waves are presented. In order to show that the characteristics of the solitary and shock waves are influenced by the plasma parameters, the relevant numerical analysis of the Sagdeev potential is presented. The nonlinear structures, as predicted here, may be associated with the electrostatic perturbations in interstellar medium. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3656979]