Flux difference splitting for the Euler equations in one spatial co-ordinate with area variation

An approximate (linearized) Riemann solver is presented for the solution of the Euler equations of gas dynamics in one spatial co-ordinate. This includes cylindrically and spherically symmetric geometries and also applies to narrow ducts with area variation. The method is Roe's flux difference splitting with a technique for dealing with source terms. The results of two problems, a spherically divergent infinite shock and a converging cylindrical shock, are presented. The numerical results compare favourably with those of Noh's recent survey and also with those of Ben-Artzi and Falcovitz using a more complicated Riemann solver.