We are concerned with free boundary problems arising from the analysis of multidimensional transonic shock waves for the Euler equations in compressible fluid dynamics. In this expository paper, we survey some recent developments in the analysis of multidimensional transonic shock waves and corresponding free boundary problems for the compressible Euler equations and related nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) of mixed type. The nonlinear PDEs under our analysis include the steady Euler equations for potential flow, the steady full Euler equations, the unsteady Euler equations for potential flow, and related nonlinear PDEs of mixed elliptic–hyperbolic type. The transonic shock problems include the problem of steady transonic flow past solid wedges, the von Neumann problem for shock reflection–diffraction, and the Prandtl–Meyer problem for unsteady supersonic flow onto solid wedges. We first show how these longstanding multidimensional transonic shock problems can be formulated as free boundary problems for the compressible Euler equations and related nonlinear PDEs of mixed type. Then we present an effective nonlinear method and related ideas and techniques to solve these free boundary problems. The method, ideas, and techniques should be useful to analyze other longstanding and newly emerging free boundary problems for nonlinear PDEs.
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Uniqueness and Stability for the Shock Reflection-Diffraction Problem for Potential Flow
When a plane shock hits a two-dimensional wedge head on, it experiences a reflection-diffraction process, and then a self-similar reflected shock moves outward as the original shock moves forward in time. The experimental, computational, and asymptotic analysis has indicated that various patterns occur, including regular reflection and Mach reflection.
The von Neumann's conjectures on the transition from regular to Mach reflection
involve the existence, uniqueness, and stability of regular shock reflection-diffraction configurations, generated by concave cornered wedges for compressible flow.
In this paper, we discuss some recent developments in the study of the von Neumann's conjectures. More specifically, we discuss the uniqueness and stability of regular shock
reflection-diffraction configurations governed by the potential flow equation in an appropriate class of solutions. We first show that the transonic shocks in the global solutions obtained in Chen-Feldman [19] are convex. Then we establish the uniqueness of global shock reflection-diffraction configurations with convex transonic shocks for any wedge angle larger than the detachment angle or the critical angle. Moreover, the solution under consideration is stable with respect to the wedge angle. Our approach also provides an alternative way of proving the existence of the admissible solutions established first in [19].
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- Award ID(s):
- 1764278
- PAR ID:
- 10093274
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the XVII international conference on hyperbolic problems: Theory, numerics, applications
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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