On a characteristic finite element method for compressible gas dynamics (Q1094258)

We describe a characteristic finite element method for the analysis of a class of problems in viscous compressible flow. This work represents an extension of the characteristic Petrov-Galerkin methods developed by the first author and \textit{J. T. Oden} [e.g. (*) Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng. 55, 63-87 (1986; Zbl 0602.76097)]. We review the basic features of the method in connection with the degenerate case of a single Burger's equation in one dimension. We then generalize the concept to the case of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations in both one and two space variables. The paper is concluded with some preliminary numerical results. The present work is an intermediate step toward the development of special adaptive methods for compressible flow problems and is a continuation of the work of the first author and Oden (*). The adaptive aspects are to be taken up in a subsequent paper.