L<Superscript>1</Superscript> Stability of Spatially Periodic Solutions in Relativistic Gas Dynamics

This paper proves the well posedness of spatially periodic solutions of the relativistic isentropic gas dynamics equations. The pressure is given by a γ-law with initial data of large amplitude, provided γ − 1 is sufficiently small. As a byproduct of our techniques, we obtain the same results for the classical case. At the limit c → + ∞, the solutions of the relativistic system converge to the solutions of the classical one, the convergence rate being 1/c ². We also construct the semigroup of solutions of the Cauchy problem for initial data with bounded total variation, which can be large, as long as γ − 1 is small.     

Extended Divergence-Measure Fields and the Euler Equations for Gas Dynamics

 A class of extended vector fields, called extended divergence-measure fields, is analyzed. These fields include vector fields in L ^p and vector-valued Radon measures, whose divergences are Radon measures. Such extended vector fields naturally arise in the study of the behavior of entropy solutions of the Euler equations for gas dynamics and other nonlinear systems of conservation laws. A new notion of normal traces over Lipschitz deformable surfaces is developed under which a generalized Gauss-Green theorem is established even for these extended fields. An explicit formula is obtained to calculate the normal traces over any Lipschitz deformable surface, suitable for applications, by using the neighborhood information of the fields near the surface and the level set function of the Lipschitz deformation surfaces. As an application, we prove the uniqueness and stability of Riemann solutions that may contain vacuum in the class of entropy solutions of the Euler equations for gas dynamics. Received: 7 May 2002 / Accepted: 2 December 2002 Published online: 2 April 2003 Communicated by P. Constantin     

Vanishing Viscosity with Short Wave–Long Wave Interactions for Systems of Conservation Laws

Motivated by Benney’s general theory, we propose new models for short wave–long wave interactions when the long waves are described by nonlinear systems of conservation laws. We prove the strong convergence of the solutions of the vanishing viscosity and short wave–long wave interactions systems by using compactness results from compensated compactness theory and new energy estimates obtained for the coupled systems. We analyze several of the representative examples, such as scalar conservation laws, general symmetric systems, nonlinear elasticity and nonlinear electromagnetism.     

Spatially Periodic Solutions in Relativistic Isentropic Gas Dynamics

We consider the initial value problem, with periodic initial data, for the Euler equations in relativistic isentropic gas dynamics, for ideal polytropic gases which obey a constitutive equation, relating pressure p and density , p=², with 1, 0<<c, where c is the speed of light. Global existence of periodic entropy solutions for initial data sufficiently close to a constant state follows from a celebrated result of Glimm and Lax (1970). We prove that given any periodic initial data of locally bounded total variation, satisfying the physical restrictions ||v₀||<c, where v is the gas velocity, there exists a globally defined spatially periodic entropy solution for the Cauchy problem, if 1<₀, for some ₀>1, depending on the initial bounds. The solution decays in L_loc¹ to its mean value as t.     

Oscillation waves in Riemann problems inside elliptic regions for conservation laws of mixed type

Riemann problems with initial data inside elliptic regions are quite different from those for hyperbolic systems. First, we have found that approximate solutions may present persistent oscillations, giving rise to a new type of (measure-valued) waves besides the usual (distributional) ones, shocks and rarefaction waves. Second, any local disturbance of a constant state inside the elliptic region will result in a non-trivial (distributional or, more generally, measure-valued) solution, which is independent of any particular choice of disturbance. For our numerical experiments, we establish two analytical results for testing convergence of finite difference schemes, and for determining expectation values of state functions with respect to the measure-valued solutions when oscillation waves occur. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate those interesting aspects, including the appearance of oscillation waves together with the analysis of the corresponding Young measures.     

Periodic and almost periodic solutions of conservation laws: Global existence and decay

In this paper we survey recent results on the decay of periodic and almost periodic solutions of conservation laws. We also recall some recent results on the global existence of periodic solutions of conservation laws systems which lie inBV _loc and are constructed through Glimm scheme. The latter motivates a discussion on a possible strategy for solving the open problem of the global existence of periodic solutions of the Euler equations for nonisentropic gas dynamics. We base our decay analysis on a general result about space-time functions which are almost periodic in the space variable, established here for the first time. This result is an abstract version of Theorem 2.1 in [31], which in turn is an extention of the combined result given by Theorems 3.1–3.2 in [9].