Shock cooling length (${\ell }_{\mathrm{cool}}\sim u_2{t}_{\mathrm{cool}}$)

The distance a downstream fluid element travels while losing a substantial fraction of its thermal energy. Multiplying the immediate downstream velocity by a radiative gas cooling time gives an order-of-magnitude length. A resolved layer instead uses $\ell =\int u(t)dt$, because mass density, temperature and speed change during cooling. It is distinct from the microscopic dissipative thickness of the shock wave.