Resonances for a contact wave in systems of conservation laws (Q1286926)

A system of three or more conservation laws is considered \[ W_t+F(W,z)_x=0,\quad ([\alpha+C\cdot W]z)_t+([\beta+C\cdot F(W,z)]z)_x=0, \] where \(W=(w_1,w_2,\dots,w_n)^T\) are conserved quantities, \(F=(f_1,f_2,\dots,f_n)^T\) are their flux functions, ``\(\cdot\)'' is the inner product in \(\mathbb{R}^n\); \(\alpha\), \(\beta\) are real constants and \(C=(c_1,c_2,\dots,c_n)^T\) is nonzero constant vector. This system has a contact field; sometimes, the contact speed and the speed of one of the nonlinear waves coincide on a surface in state space. The authors prove that this resonance surface contains the equilibrium points of the contact field and construct locally the Riemann solution for an example of such a system, which models the injection of a polymer in a petroleum reservoir. Solutions resulting from the resonating waves give arise to new objects, which the authors call wave surfaces. The complete Riemann solution is obtained by putting together transversely the wave surface and the remaining resonant waves. The authors show that for non-strictly hyperbolic systems with a simple nonlinear resonance between waves, besides constructing the wave curves associated with nonresonant waves, it is necessary to construct the wave surfaces associated with the resonant waves. In the example, the contact field has saddle points, and a new wave appears, a transitional contact wave. In the presence of this new wave, the Riemann solution for the system of three equations possesses four rather than tree wave groups.