Asymptotic analysis of contact discontinuities (Q1817927)

The main concern of the author is the following boundary value problem stated for the \(N\)-dimensional vector-valued function \(u(x,t)\) which may exhibit a jump discontinuity on the line \(x=0\): \[ \begin{aligned} & \partial_t u^\pm\pm \bigl(\Lambda (u^\pm)-q'(t) \bigr)\partial_x u^\pm=b \bigl(t,x \pm q(t) ,u^\pm) \bigl),\quad x\gtrless 0,\\ & \bigl[R_j(u) \bigr]=0,\;j=1,\dots,N-1, \quad x=0,\\ & u^\pm=h_0^\pm+ \varepsilon h_\varepsilon^\pm, \quad t=0. \end{aligned} \] Here \(A\) is a given square matrix, and \(b\) is an \(N\)-dimensional vector, both depending on \(u^\pm\), while \(q(t)\) and \(h_0^\pm\) as well as \(h_\varepsilon^\pm\) are given functions. The conditions written on the line \(x=0\) are the so-called contact discontinuities pertinent to the problem in question. They satisfy certain given relations which have physical meanings. Further, \(\varepsilon\) denotes a small perturbation parameter, while \(h_\varepsilon^1\) refers to some small amplitude rapidly oscillating perturbation. Assuming that the unperturbed problem has a solution \(u_0^\pm\), he proves first that under a suitable stability assumption the perturbed solution is still a contact discontinuity, and then he gives its asymptotic development and the contact curve in terms of the wavelength of the perturbation. Notice that too long sections devoted to `generalities on contact discontinuities and the background state' and `examples' make the paper highly boring and difficult to grasp the essential points.