Abstract
The nonlinear features of dust-acoustic (DA) waves in a strongly coupled unmagnetized dusty plasma (containing electrons following Boltzmann distribution, ions obeying vortexlike distribution, and negatively charged mobile dust) are investigated by using reductive perturbation method. It is observed that the nonlinear propagation of the DA waves gives rise to solitary structures when the strong correlation is absent and gives rise to shock structures when the strong correlation among the dust grains is present. The condition for the formation of oscillatory and monotonic shock structures is also found. The implications of our result in space and laboratory dusty plasmas are discussed.