Non-radiative shocks in partially neutral gas produce faint optical
spectra which are
dominated by the Balmer lines of hydrogen, with each line profile
exhibiting broad and
narrow components. The velocity width of the broad Balmer line and
the ratio of broad
to narrow line fluxes are sensitive to both the shock speed and the
degree of electron-proton
temperature equilibration at the shock transition. In addition,
the relative widths of such UV
resonance lines as He II 1640, C IV 1550, N V 1240 and O VI 1036
are sensitive to both the
electron-proton and ion-ion temperature equilibration at the shock.
With these diagnostics, we
can map the dependence of the temperature equilibration with shock
speed in supernova remnants.
The data indicate an inverse square dependence of T_e / T_p on the
shock speed, a result
which suggests an equilibration process operating in the cosmic ray
precursor, and which
constrains the range of equilibration processes allowed in high
Mach number, non-relativistic
shocks.