Stability of Inverse Problems for Steady Supersonic Flows Past Lipschitz Perturbed Cones

We are concerned with inverse problems for supersonic potential flows past infinite axisymmetric Lipschitz cones. The supersonic flows under consideration are governed by the steady isentropic Euler equations for axisymmetric potential flows, which involve a singular geometric source term. We first study the inverse problem for the stability of an oblique conical shock as an initial-boundary value problem with both the generating curve of the cone surface and the leading conical shock front as free boundaries. We then establish the existence and asymptotic behavior of global entropy solutions with bounded BV norm of this problem, when the Mach number of the incoming flow is sufficiently large and the total variation of the pressure distribution on the cone is sufficiently small. To this end, we first develop a modified Glimm-type scheme to construct approximate solutions by self-similar solutions as building blocks to balance the influence of the geometric source term. Then we define a Glimm-type functional, based on the local interaction estimates between weak waves, the strong leading conical shock, and self-similar solutions, along with the construction of the approximate generating curves of the cone surface. Next, when the Mach number of the incoming flow is sufficiently large, by asymptotic analysis of the reflection coefficients in those interaction estimates, we prove that appropriate weights can be chosen so that the corresponding Glimm-type functional decreases in the flow direction. Finally, we determine the generating curves of the cone surface and establish the existence of global entropy solutions containing a strong leading conical shock, besides weak waves. Moreover, the entropy solution is proved to approach asymptotically the self-similar solution determined by the incoming flow and the asymptotic pressure on the cone surface at infinity.Comment: 41 pages, 5 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2008.0240

Stability of Conical Shocks in the Three-Dimensional Steady Supersonic Isothermal Flows past Lipschitz Perturbed Cones

We are concerned with the structural stability of conical shocks in the three-dimensional steady supersonic flows past Lipschitz perturbed cones whose vertex angles are less than the critical angle. The flows under consideration are governed by the steady isothermal Euler equations for potential flow with axisymmetry so that the equations contain a singular geometric source term. We first formulate the shock stability problem as an initial-boundary value problem with the leading conical shock-front as a free boundary, and then establish the existence and asymptotic behavior of global entropy solutions in $BV$ of the problem. To achieve this, we first develop a modified Glimm scheme to construct approximate solutions via self-similar solutions as building blocks in order to incorporate with the geometric source term. Then we introduce the Glimm-type functional, based on the local interaction estimates between weak waves, the strong leading conical shock, and self-similar solutions, as well as the estimates of the center changes of the self-similar solutions. To make sure the decreasing of the Glimm-type functional, we choose appropriate weights by careful asymptotic analysis of the reflection coefficients in the interaction estimates, when the Mach number of the incoming flow is sufficiently large. Finally, we establish the existence of global entropy solutions involving a strong leading conical shock-front, besides weak waves, under the conditions that the Mach number of the incoming flow is sufficiently large and the weighted total variation of the slopes of the generating curve of the Lipschitz perturbed cone is sufficiently small. Furthermore, the entropy solution is shown to approach asymptotically the self-similar solution that is determined by the incoming flow and the asymptotic tangent of the cone boundary at infinity.Comment: 50 pages; 7 figue

Multidimensional Conservation Laws: Overview, Problems, and Perspective

Some of recent important developments are overviewed, several longstanding open problems are discussed, and a perspective is presented for the mathematical theory of multidimensional conservation laws. Some basic features and phenomena of multidimensional hyperbolic conservation laws are revealed, and some samples of multidimensional systems/models and related important problems are presented and analyzed with emphasis on the prototypes that have been solved or may be expected to be solved rigorously at least for some cases. In particular, multidimensional steady supersonic problems and transonic problems, shock reflection-diffraction problems, and related effective nonlinear approaches are analyzed. A theory of divergence-measure vector fields and related analytical frameworks for the analysis of entropy solutions are discussed.Comment: 43 pages, 3 figure

Two-Dimensional Steady Supersonic Exothermically Reacting Euler Flow past Lipschitz Bending Walls

We are concerned with the two-dimensional steady supersonic reacting Euler flow past Lipschitz bending walls that are small perturbations of a convex one, and establish the existence of global entropy solutions when the total variation of both the initial data and the slope of the boundary is sufficiently small. The flow is governed by an ideal polytropic gas and undergoes a one-step exothermic chemical reaction under the reaction rate function that is Lipschtiz and has a positive lower bound. The heat released by the reaction may cause the total variation of the solution to increase along the flow direction. We employ the modified wave-front tracking scheme to construct approximate solutions and develop a Glimm-type functional by incorporating the approximate strong rarefaction waves and Lipschitz bending walls to obtain the uniform bound on the total variation of the approximate solutions. Then we employ this bound to prove the convergence of the approximate solutions to a global entropy solution that contains a strong rarefaction wave generated by the Lipschitz bending wall. In addition, the asymptotic behavior of the entropy solution in the flow direction is also analyzed.Comment: 58 pages, 16 figures; SIAM J. Math. Anal. (accepted on November 1, 2016

Exploratory Measurement of Recession Rates of Low Temperature Ablators Subjected to Mach 6 Flow

The high speed/high-temperature effect of heat shield ablation was simulated in the low-enthalpy AFRL Mach 6 Ludwieg Tube using solid dry ice as a low-temperature sublimator. The experiments utilized both 21 half-angle cones and bi-conic models with a 7 ° half-angle leading edge followed by a 26° half-angle base contained within a cryogenic-cooled stainless steel holder. A method of fabricating dry ice test articles was developed using commercially procured dry ice and custom-made aluminum molds. Tests were performed at Mach 6.1 with a stagnation temperature of 490 K and stagnation pressures ranging from 40 - 500 psi. Unit Reynolds number ranged from 2.6 x 106 to 23 x 106 m−1 . High-speed Schlieren photography with a frame rate of 20 kHz was used for visualization and data analysis. The observed ablation rates compared favorably to previous research and were analyzed using the Fay-Riddell stagnation point heating correlation. This exploratory effort demonstrated the potential for other uses of dry ice test models in the facility, including for store separation experiments and localized particle-based flow visualization

Development of a computational model for predicting solar wind flows past nonmagnetic terrestrial planets

A computational model for the determination of the detailed plasma and magnetic field properties of the global interaction of the solar wind with nonmagnetic terrestrial planetary obstacles is described. The theoretical method is based on an established single fluid, steady, dissipationless, magnetohydrodynamic continuum model, and is appropriate for the calculation of supersonic, super-Alfvenic solar wind flow past terrestrial ionospheres

Multidimensional Riemann Problems: Transonic Shock Waves and Free Boundary Problems

We are concerned with global solutions of multidimensional Riemann problems for nonlinear hyperbolic systems of conservation laws, focusing on their global configurations and structures. We present some recent developments in the rigorous analysis of two-dimensional Riemann problems involving transonic shock waves through several prototypes of hyperbolic systems of conservation laws and discuss some further multidimensional Riemann problems and related problems for nonlinear partial differential equations. In particular, we present four different two-dimensional Riemann problems through these prototypes of hyperbolic systems and show how these Riemann problems can be reformulated/solved as free boundary problems with transonic shock waves as free boundaries for the corresponding nonlinear conservation laws of mixed elliptic-hyperbolic type and related nonlinear partial differential equations.Comment: 46 pages; 10 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2109.1024

Multidimensional transonic shock waves and free boundary problems

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

Two-dimensional riemann problems: transonic shock waves and free boundary problems

We are concerned with global solutions of multidimensional (M-D) Riemann problems for nonlinear hyperbolic systems of conservation laws, focusing on their global configurations and structures. We present some recent developments in the rigorous analysis of two-dimensional (2-D) Riemann problems involving transonic shock waves through several prototypes of hyperbolic systems of conservation laws and discuss some further M-D Riemann problems and related problems for nonlinear partial differential equations. In particular, we present four different 2-D Riemann problems through these prototypes of hyperbolic systems and show how these Riemann problems can be reformulated/solved as free boundary problems with transonic shock waves as free boundaries for the corresponding nonlinear conservation laws of mixed elliptic-hyperbolic type and related nonlinear partial differential equations