The non-stationary invariant solution of the equations of gas dynamics describing the spreading of a gas into a vacuum (Q922887)

An invariant solution of the equations of gas dynamics, constructed on a one-dimensional subgroup which is only allowed in the case of a polytropic gas with a special adiabatic index, is considered. The gas spreads out into a vacuum after a finite time. New solutions are constructed which describe one-dimensional flows from a source into a vacuum and the focussing of the gas within a sphere or a cylinder with shock waves. The spreading of a concentration of the gas with an arbitrary boundary when there is a contact discontinuity is also considered.