Re: Is there any way I can create a visible shock wave?

First, a quick answer: it may be possible to create a visible shockwave without steam or dust in the air, but it might be very complicated and expensive, potentially could be dangerous, and the shock wave probably would go by very quickly.

Alternatively, you could just create the visual effect of a shock wave on your computer. There is a java applet called the Lake applet that sends simulated waves through any still scene; a similar approach could create a simulated shock wave in a videotaped scene. Meanwhile, back to the "real thing"....

Here is a website that explains what shock waves are:

shock wave explanation

Here is a picture of a shock wave along the wing of an airplane:

In order to create a visible ripple in the air, you need to create a wave in the air that has a different refractive index than the rest of the air around it. One way, that you suggested, would be to add steam or dust. Without adding steam or dust, you would have to change the refractive index of the air itself - by compressing it or making it more of a vacuum, or by heating it (you will notice that the air near a fire or in certain areas in a desert will have that sort of distorted effect due to a change in refractive index where the air is much hotter).

There are several research laboratories, studying some of the complexities of shock waves. Generally, they achieve the shock wave, and the associated visual ripple in the air, from an explosion that generates a wave of highly compressed air. The compressed air has a different refractive index than the normal air, which leads to that visual ripple. Here are links to some of those shock wave research laboratories:

Shock Wave Research Center, Tohoku Univ

U of Chicago Shock Wave Lab

Here is are sites related to shock wave modeling:

Shockwave Research

Shock Wave Modeling at Sandia Labs

More shock wave modeling

Shock waves can also be induced, on a smaller scale, using lasers

Laser induced shock waves

There are also theories involving shock waves with the "Big Bang" that is theorized to have started our universe: Shock Wave and the Big Bang