Luminosity profiles and the evolution of shock waves in general-relativistic radiating spheres (Herrera, L.; Núñez, Luis) Abstract A method recently proposed by the authors to study the evolution of discontinuities in radiating spherically symmetric distributions of matter is systematically applied to model the evolution of a composite radiant sphere. The matter configuration, free of singularities, is divided in two regions by a shock wave front, and at each side of this interface a different equation of state is considered. Solutions are matched across the shock via the Rankine-Hugoniot conditions, while the outer region metric joins the Vaidya solution at the boundary surface. The influence on the evolution of these composite spheres of different shapes of neutrino outburst profiles and particular neutrino-transfer processes from the inner core to the outer mantle is explored. Prospective applications to supernova scenarios are discussed. Artículo publicado en: The Astrophysical Journal, 364:212-221,1990 November 20laherrera@telcel.net.venunez@ula.veNivel monográfico