The properties of nonplanar (cylindrical and spherical) dust-acoustic solitary waves (DASWs) in an unmagnetized, collisionless three-component dusty plasma, whose constituents are negatively charged cold dust fluid, superthermal/non-Maxwellian electrons (represented by kappa distribution) and Boltzmann distributed ions, are investigated by deriving the modified Gardner (MG) equation. The well-known reductive perturbation method is employed to derive the MG equation. The basic features of nonplanar DA Gardner solitons (GSs) are discussed. It is seen that the properties of nonplanar DAGSs (positive and negative) significantly differ as the value of spectral index 𝜅 changes.

Ion-acoustic shock waves (IASWs) in a homogeneous unmagnetized plasma, comprising superthermal electrons, positrons, and singly charged adiabatically hot positive ions are investigated via two-dimensional nonplanar Kadomstev–Petviashvili–Burgers (KPB) equation. It is found that the profiles of the nonlinear shock structures depend on the superthermality of electrons. The influence of other plasma parameters such as, ion kinematic viscosity and ion temperature, is discussed in the presence of superthermal electrons in nonplanar geometry. It is also seen that the IASWs propagating in cylindrical/spherical geometry with transverse perturbation will be deformed as time goes on.

Interaction of nonplanar ion-acoustic solitary waves is an important source of information for studying the nature and characteristics of ion-acoustic solitary waves (IASWs). The head-on collision between two cylindrical/spherical IASWs in un-magnetized plasmas comprising of nonthermal distributed electrons and warm ions is investigated using the extended version of Poincaré–Lighthill–Kuo (PLK) perturbation method. How the interactions are taking place in cylindrical and spherical geometries are shown numerically. Analytical phase shifts are derived for nonplanar geometry. The effects of the ion to electron temperature parameter and the nonthermal electrons parameter on the phase shift are studied. It is shown that the properties of the interaction of IASWs in different geometries are very different.